Leftover Baggage
by Smith39440
Summary: Everyone has leftover baggage from a previous relationship. That baggage may be physical, emotional or psychological. Fitz and Olivia meet and fall in love but each have their own leftover baggage from their previous relationship. It is up to them to decide it those issues will keep them together or tear them apart. Enjoy! THIS IS A COMPLETE STORY! OLITZ FANFIC! RATED M!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! This is a fanfic that I have been working on since January. For those who don't know, I am bipolar and I go through manic periods. It's during those periods that i love to write because most of the time, i am up all night. I wanted to do something different. I wanted to complete this story before I published it. So here is 36 Chapters of an Olitz Fanfic. This story is loosely based on my life but i did use some creative writing. **I must warn you this story does have a lot of intense sex scenes, some abuse and profanity.** I hope you enjoy all 36 chapters. Please let me know what you think. Happy Reading!**

It was 2 am on a warm October night in Los Angeles, California. Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III woke up in a strange bed and a strange place. He looked to his left and saw a blonde woman sleeping next to him. For the life of him he could not remember her name. This however was not unusual for him. He was used to bedding different chicks every night of the week. Half the time he did not know their names nor did he care. This night was no different. He did what he always did. He would go out to a bar, meet a chick, go back to her place and have sex. He would always wake up in the middle of the night and leave without every seeing them again. Tonight was no different. He got up out of her bed, put on his clothes and left this strange chick's apartment.

He got into his Ferrari convertible and drove home to his mansion on the beach in Malibu. During the 30 minute drive he thought about how his life had changed over the past two years. He was engaged to a woman named Melody Ainsworth. It was to be an arranged marriage set up between both of their fathers. Mellie, as she often went by, was an okay kind of girl. He was not in love with her but he saw himself being married to her and raising a family. It would make his father proud and he was willing to sacrifice his future happiness if it meant that his father would be happy. Shortly after the engagement was announced, Mellie called it off. Come to find out that she had been sleeping with another man the whole time. She was in love with him and refused to marry Fitz. Fitz was embarrassed and angry because he was faithful to her but he felt like she was just using him. Fitz wasn't heartbroken but he felt cheated. He turned down hundreds of women that threw themselves at him while Mellie was off fucking her boyfriend, Andrew. After the breakup, Fitz made it his personal quest to bang anything that came his way. He turned into a super freak. He had countless threesomes and one night stands. His sexual appetite was insatiable. Most of the time, he didn't recognize the man he had become.

Fitz woke at 6:20 in his own bed with a slight hangover. He wanted to stay in bed and call in sick but he knew that his father would chew his ass out if he did. His father owned Grant Advertising Agency which was one of the biggest agencies in the country. Fitz was being groomed to take over the day to day operations when his father retires just like his grandfather did for his father. Big Jerry had been cutting Fitz some slack since the breakup but he was getting fed up with Fitz childish behavior. Fitz knew he was on thin ice with his father so he had to be at work on time or his ass was grass. He got dressed and went down stairs where the maid had his breakfast ready. After eating his breakfast and reading the paper, he was out the door by 7:30.

He drove back to LA to the office. He got his schedule from his secretary, Lauren and decided to get started with his day. He was in his office taking calls when Big Jerry walked in.

"Good morning, Fitzgerald. I didn't expect to see you this early. I heard about the night you had at the bar last night."

Of course he heard. He went drinking with Stephen who tells Big Jerry everything he does. "Well, dad as you can see, I am here and on time."

"Good because we have a meeting in ten minutes. I want you to meet our new advertising executive."

"I will be there."

Big Jerry left Fitz's office and he breathed a sigh of relief. He thought to himself, _Great, I have to meet another old geezer like Cyrus. These advertising execs are all the same._

Ten minutes went by fast. Fitz ran to the conference room to find that the meeting had already begun. He got a cross look from Big Jerry when he walked in late and took his seat.

Cyrus stood up and spoke. "Gentlemen, now that everyone is here. I would like to introduce you to our new Advertising Executive, Olivia Pope."

Olivia stood up and Fitz noticed her for the first time since he walked in. She smiled at everyone and he could have sworn that he heard angels sing.

Cyrus continued to talk, "Olivia is one of the best executives in the game. We acquired her from the Wall Advertising Firm. Olivia was the one that stole the Nike account from us a few months ago. After that I knew that we had to have her on our side or we would be losing money." Everyone at the table chuckled.

Big Jerry stood and shook her hand, "Olivia, let me be the first to welcome you to our agency. Cyrus has told me so much about you. Whatever you need to feel comfortable just let us know and we will make it happen." He motioned to Fitz, "This tardy boy is my son Fitzgerald. He will be taking over my position when I retire. If you can't find me, please find him and he will take care of your needs."

She looked at Fitz and their eyes met for the first time. Fitz stood and shook her hand. It was like electricity shot through his body.

Olivia spoke, "Please to meet you, Fitzgerald."

He smiled at the beauty of her voice, "The pleasure is all mine, Olivia."

Big Jerry cleared his throat and broke Fitz out of his spell.

Cyrus introduced Olivia to everyone else that was in the meeting. Afterwards he walked her to her corner office on the ninth floor of the eleven story building. He introduced her to her assistant Quinn Perkins and gave her the rest of the day to get settled.

Fitz was back in his office on the tenth floor when Big Jerry walked in and closed the door. He looked at his son for a minute.

"What?" Fitz asked wondering why his father was staring at him.

"You know what son. First you show up to the meeting late after I told you that it would start in ten minutes then you hit on the new executive after meeting her for five seconds."

He chuckled, "Dad, I didn't hit on the exec."

"Fitzgerald, I saw that look in your eye. It's the same look you get whenever we hire a new temp or an intern. I don't care if you bang every assistant from here to Timbuktu but you leave Olivia Pope alone. She is the best thing to happen to this agency in a long time. We spent a lot of money to get her to come here. I will not lose her. Trust me, if it comes down to you and her then son you are out in the cold. I mean it, stay away from her. Is that clear?"

Fitz knew his father was serious, "Yes sir."

With that, his father left his office. Fitz finished all of his work for the day and decided it was time to go home. He pressed the down elevator button and waited patiently. It finally opened on his floor. When he got on no one was on there. He pressed the garage button and the elevator went down. He thought it would go straight to the garage but it stopped on the ninth floor. When the doors opened, he saw Olivia waiting to get on the elevator. She gave him a slight smile and stepped inside the door. She was going to press the garage button but saw that it had already been pushed so she waited for the doors to close.

Fitz figured it would be rude not to at least speak to her. He cleared his throat, "So did you get settled in okay?"

She turned to face him a little, "Yes I did. Thank you for asking."

They were just at the sixth floor. "You're going home?"

"Yeah, my workday is done. I have some big clients coming tomorrow and I want to be ready for them."

He was impressed, "Wow, already on the grind."

She smirked, "Yes well some of us have to work hard to get where we are while others have it handed to them."

He didn't know whether to be offended or smile. No one had ever questioned his privileges. He wanted to ask her what she meant by that but the elevator door opened to the garage. She walked out first and he followed behind her. He couldn't help to admire her ass and the way it wiggled when she walked. She reached her car first which was a black Range Rover.

"Nice car" She turned to see that Fitz was talking to her.

"Thank you. I like it very much."

"I have a white one like it but I mainly drive my Ferrari." He pointed in the direction of his car.

She looked, "Nice. I guess you are trying to overcompensate for something."

He was shocked by her tone. Usually when he showed a woman his car their panties would come flying off but she wasn't fazed. In fact she insulted him.

He hit back at her, "The ladies seem to like it."

"Of course. Pea-brain women love a pea-brain man with a nice car. You can't impress a REAL woman with your car. Have a good day, Fitzgerald." With that, she got in her car and drove off. He sat there dumbfounded as to what had just transpired.

Fitz went home and changed for his usual night out of drinking with the boys. He walked up to table in the club where Stephen, Harrison and Huck were waiting for him with a pitcher of beer. They drank pitcher after pitcher. Harrison spotted a few girls at the bar.

"Come on, Fitz. Let's bag you one for the night."

Fitz downed his beer and walked over to bar with Harrison. They met a set of twins named Julie and Jessica. They were hot blondes with hazel eyes. Fitz offered to buy them a drink and they accepted. After taking a few shots, they were ripe for the picking.

Fitz, in his trademark baritone voice, asked them where they lived. They told him that they lived around the corner. He high-fived Harrison and they left out of the bar with them. They walked to the parking lot and almost flipped out when they saw Fitz's car.

At first, Julie was on him inside the bar but Jessica became intrigued by him as well when she saw the car. She completely forgot about Harrison. At first Fitz liked the idea of a three way with twins. Hell he even thought about inviting Harrison anyway and turning it into a fuckfest. But something started ringing inside his head. He looked at them and something in his mind said, _Pea-brained women._

They were an easy lay just like everything else in his life was easy. He no longer wanted easy. He gave his keys to Harrison. "Why don't you take the girls home and I will catch a cab or call a car service. Just bring the car to the house tomorrow."

Harrison smiled, "You sure?"

"Yeah, man. Have fun."

Harrison and the two girls climbed into the car and drove to their house where he had a threesome with identical twins. Fitz didn't go back into the bar. He called a car service and went back home. He walked into his two story mansion with 5 bed rooms right on the beach. For the first time in a long time, he came home at a decent hour. He knew that he would not wake up in a strange bed with another stranger. But why did he change his mind? What made him walk away from a sure thing? He took a shower and his mind kept racing and asking questions. Finally it hit him. Olivia Pope. She had gotten into his head. But why? What was so special about her? He didn't know the answer to those questions but he was going to find out.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Fitz walked into the office the next day with a chip on his shoulder. His sole focus was Olivia Pope. She had insulted him and gotten under his skin but he was determined to give her a piece of his mind. Her assistant told him that she was in her office so he knocked on her door.

"Come in."

He opened the door to find her sitting behind her desk looking over some paperwork. He closed the door and sat down in the chair in front of her desk.

She looked up at him, "Is there something I can help you with, Fitzgerald?"

"First of all, you can call me Fitz. My father is the only one that calls me by full name and I hate it."

She put her paperwork down and sat back in her seat to give him her undivided attention. "Okay, _Fitz_. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes, you owe me an apology."

She burst out laugh at his outrageous demand. When she saw that he was serious, she asked, "Why do you feel that I owe you an apology?"

"Because you insulted me twice yesterday when you don't know a thing about me."

She twiddled her thumbs looking at him, "Okay, how do you feel like I insulted you?"

He leaned forward in his chair, "First you made the comment about how others work for what they have while some have it given to them. I know you were talking about me. Then you made the comment about my car and the fact that you think I am compensating for something."

She shook her head up and down. "Well, I hate to break it to you but I only apologize when I have something to be sorry for. And as far as me knowing something about you, you would be surprised at what I know about you, _Fitzgerald_."

She was starting to get under his skin. She was an arrogant and spiteful woman. "You see where you may have crossed the line, Olivia."

She rested her arms on her desk, "I was raised to call a spade a spade. You are spoiled elitist rich boy who has the world handed to him on a silver platter and you are just wasting it because you want to be a child. You went to USC and majored in Liberal Arts just to say that you have a degree because deep down you knew your daddy would give you this company even though you don't know the first thing about advertising or marketing. I however worked my ass off in college and graduate school to get here. So if you are waiting for me to apologize to you, _Fitzgerald_ , then you will be waiting a very long time. Now if that is all, please close the door on your way out."

Olivia went back to her work as Fitz stood up and walked out the door. No one had ever talked to him like that before in his life. He went back to his office fuming. He could have wallowed in self-pity but he decided to focus all of his energy into his work.

At 11 am, they had a meeting in the conference room with the people from Macy's. It was a big account which could bring in over a billion dollars in revenue. Fitz made it to the meeting on time and took his usual seat at the side of his father. Cyrus sat on his other side. The real shock was the Olivia was seated next to Fitz. They briefly made eye contact but neither said a word to each other. This was the first meeting that Olivia would be in charge of and everyone wanted to see her in action.

She stood up and handed everyone a folder, "All right, let's get started."

She was brilliant. She worked up a proposal that was beneficial to both parties. She worked the room like she owned it. Everyone was in awe of this woman because she commanded their attention. Fitz was entranced by her spell. This was not the same woman that chewed him up and spit him out. This woman was fascinating. She was beautiful inside and out. He found himself looking more at her than the proposal. His eyes wondered up and down her body. He liked the way her pantsuit complimented her ass and breast. Every time she leaned forward on the conference table, he would look at her cleavage. He stared at her lips and wondered what it would be like to kiss her plump juicy lips. Truth be told, he hadn't kissed a woman since Mellie and he hardly kissed her.

When the meeting was over, both sides agreed that this was the best deal for them and signed the contracts. To celebrate, Big Jerry decided to take everyone to lunch. They agreed to meet at Soho House for lunch in 30 minutes.

Olivia went to her office and closed her door. She told Quinn that she did not want to be disturbed. After 20 minutes, she came out of her office to find Fitz waiting for her.

"May I help you, Fitzgerald?"

He chuckled because he knew that she was just trying to get on his nerves. "Yeah, I was wondering if you wanted to catch a ride with me to lunch."

She sighed, "No Thank you. I am perfectly capable of driving myself."

He stopped in front of her, "Look, I think we got off to a bad start. I would like for us to start over if that is possible."

She looked into his eyes and saw that he was sincere, "Okay, fine. Let's start over."

He extended his hand, "Hello, Ms. Pope. I am Fitzgerald Grant but please call me Fitz."

She shook his hand, "Please to meet you, Fitz. You may call me Liv."

"I would like that, Liv. Now to help us conserve on gas, would you care to ride with me to lunch?"

"I don't like riding in Ferraris."

"Well, it's a good thing I drove the Rover today. Now does that change your mind?"

She thought for a minute, "Okay, fine. But please drive the speed limit."

"You got it."

The ride to lunch was quiet. They met up with everyone at Soho House and had a wonderful business lunch. Fitz did notice that everyone ordered an alcoholic beverage except for Liv. She ordered lemonade and she was very conscious of what she was eating because she asked the waiter what ingredients were in several entrees. Liv proved that she deserved to play in the big leagues and everyone at the table agreed.

The ride back to work started out quiet but Fitz really wanted to get to know this mysterious woman that read him the riot act earlier.

He stared out at the road, "So where are you from?"

She stared out the window, "Does it matter?"

"Ouch. I am just trying to get to know you that's all."

She turned to look at him, "Is that a line that you use on the temps and the secretaries you bang all over the office?"

Fitz was shocked at her question. He knew he didn't have the best reputation but he didn't know she knew about it. "So I guess you have heard about me?"

She chuckled, "Yes, I heard that you will bang anything with a pulse."

He bobbed his head, "Wow. That's what they say about me?"

She shrugged, "Hey, I told you. A spade is a spade. But I don't hold it against you. Just don't try to run game on me because I don't roll like that."

He shook his head, "Ok, ok." He paused for a min. "Do you mind telling me exactly what you heard?"

She looked at him, "Well, I was in the break room and one of the temps told me how you had her bent over the desk two weeks ago. Another told me how she sucked your dick in the parking lot on her lunch break. Not to mention the countless one night stands I heard from Cyrus and how your father is trying to get you to cut back on your late night drinking."

"So you basically know my life's history?"

She turned back to the window, "A spade is a spade."

"Well since you know so much about me, can you at least tell me something about you?"

She thought for a moment, "Ok. Three things you need to know. Number one, I don't date. Number two, I don't sleep with coworkers. Number 3, I don't fool with guys like you."

Fitz shook his head, "Nice to know. May I ask why you don't date?"

"No, you may not just know that I don't."

With that, they pulled up into the garage. Liv got out first. She looked at him, "Why don't you go on up first? I don't want people to see us together and think I fucked you on my lunch break."

He brushed off his suit and walked ahead of her. They got on the elevator separately and went about their day.

The next three weeks went by fast with limited interaction between the two of them. Other than business meeting and lunches, they rarely talked to each other. Liv was making a name for herself and everyone was taking notice especially Fitz. He wanted to get to know her but she kept her personal life very private. She came to work at the same time every morning and left at the same time every night. A few nights he would catch her on the elevator and they would ride down together making small talk along the way.

Fitz realized that Olivia had been there a month and he still didn't know a thing about her. So today he decided that he would invite her to have lunch with him. They had lunch before but never alone. He knew that it would take some serious convincing because he knew she would say no but he had to try.

It was 11:15 when he knocked on her door.

"Come in."

He came in and sat in the same chair as before. This time she looked up as he walked in.

"Fitz. What can I do for you?"

He smiled, "Actually, I would like to do something for you. I would like to take you out to lunch."

She looked at him to see if he was joking. "Fitz, I told you that I don't date."

"This isn't a date. This is just two colleagues having lunch together."

She shook her head, "No thank you. I think I am just going to work through my lunch so that I can leave early."

He scooted up in the chair, "Liv, please. I am not trying to run game on you. I just want to be your friend and get to know you over lunch. If you don't like it then I will never bother you again. Seriously what harm could come from free meal?"

She smiled and thought about it, "Okay. _ONE_ lunch and that is it."

"Deal. I will be back at noon."

"No, I will meet you in the garage by your car."

"Deal."

He walked to his car at noon and found her waiting on him. He opened her car door for her and she got in. He walked to the driver side and got in.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

He smiled, "I thought we would go to the Four Seasons, if that is alright with you."

"That is fine but don't think I am going upstairs to a room with you.

He laughed, "Deal."

She frowned at him, "Deal? Is that your answer for everything?"

"Only with you. I try to take what I can get." He gave her smile that almost melted her heart.

She had to admit that he was quite charming and handsome. He definitely knew how to wear a suit. She kept looking at his arms when he drove. He could see his bulging biceps through his suit. She loved his curly hair especially his superman curl in the front. She wanted to run her hands through his hair so badly.

They made small talk about the weather and what new clients they would be meeting in the near future. He pulled up in to the valet at the Four Seasons. The valet opened Liv's car door as she got out. Fitz walked around and tipped him before walking into the restaurant. They were quickly seated at a table in corner by the window.

Liv ordered lemonade. She asked about the ingredients in the entrees again from the waiter. She finally settled for the Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad with Italian dressing. Fitz ordered the surf and turf Steak and Lobster with a beer. Once the waiter was gone, it was just them. He was looking at her and she was looking at him.

She cleared her throat, "So, you say you want to get to know me. What do you want to know?"

He eyed her, "Well for starters, why do you ask what the ingredients are before you order?"

"I have a severe food allergy that if triggered I could go into anaphylactic shock and die. I have to ask the ingredients so I can avoid those foods."

He was shocked. He thought she was invincible. "Is that why you don't drink?"

She smirked, "No, I used to drink a lot but about a year ago, I stopped drinking altogether."

He was impressed, "So you just quit cold turkey?"

She gave a sly smile, "Yeah, something like that."

"Wow, you are amazing." Oh my god. Did that really just come out of his mouth? He thought it but he didn't mean to say it aloud.

She blushed, "Thank you. So what about you? Bang any temps lately?"

He chuckled, "No, I have not. I actually haven't banged anyone in a while. I don't know what's wrong with me. I guess at some point you get tired of that lifestyle. What about you? Are you married? Have a boyfriend? Have you banged anyone lately?"

They both were laughing as the waiter brought their drinks. Liv took a swallow of her drink before speaking, "To be honest, no I am not married, nor do I have a boyfriend and I haven't banged anyone in over a year."

Fitz was flabbergasted by her answer. A year. He was going through withdrawals after just a month. He couldn't imagine going a year and here she was sitting up here like it didn't bother her. "So what are you celibate or something?"

She sipped her drink, "No I am not celibate. Life happened that's all."

He took a swallow of his beer. "So where are you from?"

"Originally, I am from DC. I went to college at UC-Berkeley and I moved back to DC once I graduated. My parents retired three years ago and moved to Santa Barbara leaving me in DC alone. Last year, I packed up everything I owned and moved out here to live with my best friend Abby."

The waiter brought their foods. They ate lunch and continued to talk. To say that Fitz was enamored by Liv would be an understatement. If he could, he would worship the ground she walked on.

They joked and teased each other throughout their dinner. The turning point in the dinner was when Liv asked him a question.

"Please tell me that when you have sex with all of these women that you at least use protection."

Fitz pulled a condom out of his wallet and sat it on the table. "I never leave home without a few. The last thing I need is some disease or worse a baby. Oh no, Fitzgerald Grant isn't ready for any babies. Babies have a way of ruining your life."

He was laughing but Liv's whole demeanor changed. She became withdrawn. She was no longer playful and teasing him about his sex life.

Lunch was winding down. Fitz looked at her and said, "This was nice. Maybe we should do this again perhaps you would like to join me for dinner tonight."

Liv shook her head and said softly, "I can't. I have a meeting with a client tonight. Sorry."

Fitz felt like she was blowing him off. "Really? A client? After hours? May I ask this 'client's' name?"

Without hesitation, she answered, "Her name is Allison."

"Okay. Well I hope you and 'Allison' have fun at your meeting." He used air quotes when referring to her client. As the waiter brought the check, Liv's cell phone rung.

"This is Olivia Pope."

He looked at her and saw tears swell up in her eyes.

"Oh my god. I will be there in a few minutes."

She hung up the phone as a tear fell down her face.

"Liv, what's wrong?" He asked in a panic.

She was trying to get herself together but emotionally she was a wreck. "I need to get to the hospital ASAP. Damn! I left my car at work."

He could see that she was shaking. He stood up and grabbed her arm, "Don't worry about it. I will take you. Let's go."

The valet brought his car and they rushed Cedars-Sinai Medical center. He valet parked there as well. This time Liv didn't wait for anyone to open the door. She got out and rushed into the hospital stopping at the information desk. Fitz ran to catch up with her by the elevator. When the doors open, they both stepped on. She pressed the number 3 button several times hoping the elevator would speed up. Once the doors opened on third floor she started jogging down the hall. She stopped in front of room 378 and went inside. Fitz couldn't help but notice the name outside the door, ALLISON POPE. He walked into the room to see Liv picking up a mocha mixed color baby out of the hospital crib. The baby had sandy brown color hair with hazel eyes. She was a young baby no more than six months old. She was crying at first but she stopped when Liv picked her up.

"Shhh, it's okay, Allie. Mommy is here. Stop crying pretty girl."

Mommy? Fitz couldn't believe what he just heard. He had worked with Liv for a month and just had lunch with her. Not once did she mention that she was a mommy.

Another lady was in the room sitting down with baby carrier and diaper bag that he could only assume belonged to the baby. She stood up and walked towards Liv.

"Ms. Pope, we don't know what happened. All of sudden she couldn't breathe and we rushed her here. The doctors want to run some tests to see what went wrong. I called you as soon as we got here."

Still hugging and kissing the baby, Liv told the lady, "Thank you. You did the right thing."

"Yes ma'am. I will be in the waiting room if you need me." The lady walked out of the room.

Liv turned and noticed that Fitz was still standing there by the door. "Fitz, this is my daughter, Allison Melissa Pope."


	3. Chapter 3

Fitz stared at Liv holding the baby that she just said was her daughter. He was speechless. He didn't know what do or what to say. He just stood there and watched how Liv held and kissed all over the baby.

The doctor walked into the door, "Ms. Pope? I am Dr. Johnson. Your baby was going into anaphylactic shock when she was brought in. She must have come into contact with some food that she is severely allergic to. With your permission we would like to take her and run a series of allergy test so we will know exactly what she is allergic to."

Olivia nodded her head, "Yes, whatever is necessary. I also have severe food allergies. Do you think she got this from me?"

"It is possible. Some allergies are hereditary and some are not. We will know more once we run the tests."

"Okay. Thank you Doctor."

"No problem. A nurse will be here to get her shortly." The doctor left the room.

After a few moments in silence, Liv finally spoke to Fitz. "Thank you for the ride over here but you don't have to wait around. I can call a car service to take us home if she gets discharged today."

"Don't worry about it. It's not like I have anything important to do. My job was handed to me, remember." He said it as a joke hoping that she would laugh. He could see that she was worried about her daughter by the way she kept holding her tight like she was going to fly away any minute.

The nurse came and took the baby out of her arms. They walked outside to the waiting room where the other lady was sitting. Liv informed her of what was going on. It was Fitz's understanding that the lady was a caregiver from the daycare that Allison went to. Liv told the woman that she would keep her informed and that there was no need for her to stay there with them. The lady left leaving Fitz and Liv in the waiting area. They sat in silence for ten minutes.

Liv looked at him, "Go ahead and ask."

Confused, "Ask what?"

"Ask me the questions that you have been dying to ask since you saw me holding my baby."

He thought for a min, "Where is her father?"

She knew it was coming and yet it still stung her. "Her father, Jake, and I dated for a few years in DC. When I got pregnant, he wanted me to have an abortion because he wasn't ready to be a father. I refused and we broke up. I left and moved to California."

"Ok. And by her skin color, I'm guessing that her father is white."

"Yes, he is."

He paused, "Um-so why didn't you tell me that you had a baby?"

She told him point blank, "Well, that is a need to know information that you didn't need to know at the time. But if you must know she is five months old. Her birthday is May 5th. I stopped drinking when I found out I was pregnant and I don't drink now because I am breastfeeding."

"Okay." He wasn't expecting all of that but it made sense. "Is she also the reason you have been celibate for a year?"

She smiled at his question, "Yes. She is also the reason I don't date. Most guys aren't looking for a ready-made family. Most guys want me with no baby. They don't understand that we are a package deal. We come as a pair not a spare. So until the right man comes along, it will just be my daughter and me. I am okay with that. She is my greatest accomplishment. She is my everything." At that moment, Liv couldn't hold back her emotions. She started crying. Fitz stood her up and put his arms around her allowing her to cry in his shirt. He kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back to soothe her while she cried.

After 5 minutes, she walked to the bathroom and fixed herself up. After she sat back down, Fitz couldn't help but be concerned for her well-being.

"Liv, would like some coffee?"

"Yes, please decaf with cream and sugar."

While he walked to the vending machine, he called the office to say that Liv had a family emergency and that she would be out for the rest of the day. As for him, if someone asked just say he is at a meeting with a client.

"Here you go, Liv." He handed her the coffee and sat back down next to her. "I just called work and told them that you had a family emergency. Is there someone else you need me to call?"

She shook her head, "No my parents are on vacation in Hawaii and my best friend is at work. Other than that, I have no one."

He placed his arm around her and pulled her to his shoulder, "You have me."

Resting her head, "Thank you Fitz."

After about two hours, they brought the baby back. They believe that she came in contact with some type of peanuts or peanut butter probably from one of her caregivers. But the doctor gave Liv a list of foods that she is allergic too, many are the same one the Liv is allergic to as well. They discharged her with a prescription for antihistamine and an Epi-pen Jr shot for emergencies.

Liv placed the baby in her carrier and strapped her in. She started to lift the carrier when Fitz came and took it from her hand. He motioned for her to get the diaper bag and they left the hospital. It was after 6 when they were leaving so it was getting dark outside. Fitz placed the baby in the back seat and Liv showed him how to strap her down. Liv rode in the back with the baby while Fitz drove them to the pharmacy to fill the prescription. The pharmacist told them that it would take approximately 45 minutes. So Fitz decided to take Liv to get something to eat instead of sitting around waiting. Liv didn't want to go to a restaurant because the baby was sleeping peacefully from the medication the doctor gave her and she didn't want her to wake up. So Fitz drove to Lucy's Drive in where they ordered food to eat in the car. Fitz climbed in the backseat with Liv and the baby waiting for their food to arrive.

Liv looked around and smiled at him, "Thank you so much for everything. This is nice."

He shrugged, "No problem. It's the least I can do." He paused, "I-um-I want to apologize earlier about the comment I made about babies ruining your life. It was a stupid thing to say and I shouldn't have said it."

"Don't apologize to me. You were just speaking the truth. Your truth. No one can fault you for that."

He felt the need to clarify, "Yeah but if I had known-"

She interrupted him, "See this is why I don't tell people about her because then you feel the need to censor your behavior or your words and that is not fair to you just because I am the one that has a baby."

"Who else at work knows about her?"

"Only Cyrus."

He chuckled and winked at her, "Well your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you."

He looked at the baby up close for the first time. She had her mother's cheek bones and lips. Her bottom lip was poked out while she was in her deep sleep. "She is gorgeous, Liv."

Liv had a genuine smile as she looked at her sleeping daughter, "Thank you. She is something else. I know I will probably be up with her all night but she looks so peaceful when she is asleep."

He looked at Liv and wondered, "How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Like you said, you will probably be up all night yet you will come to work ready to take on the world looking like a million bucks."

She thought for a moment, "I just do. I feel like I disappointed my parents when they found out I was pregnant so I get up every day with the mentality that I will never disappoint them or anyone again."

The carhop brought their food. Liv offered to pay but Fitz refused to take her money.

"Well, Fitz at least let me pay you back for gas. I know how much it takes to fill these gas guzzling Range Rovers up."

He smiled and thought, "I know a way you could pay me back. Have dinner with me?"

She looked around, "If you haven't noticed, we are having dinner."

"I am talking about a real date."

She sighed, "Fitz, I told you. I don't date. Also if you haven't notice, I have a baby."

Then he said something that shocked her, "Then bring her too."

She stared at him, "Really, you want me to bring my baby out on a date with you?"

"Yes, like you said. You come as a pair. So if she has to come for me to get a date with you then I say bring her."

She smiled and thought for a moment, "Okay, one date. When?"

He pulled out his phone to check his calendar, "Well, tomorrow is Saturday. How about then?"

Liv was shocked, "A date tomorrow?"

"Yeah we can go to the Santa Monica Pier and spend the day if you would like. It's up to you."

"Fitz-"

He interrupted her, "Please Liv, just say yes. Don't overthink it or overanalyze it. Just be spontaneous for once. What do you say? Will you and Allison go out on a date with me tomorrow?"

She looked at Allison, "What do you say, Allie? Any objections?"

The sleeping baby never made a sound.

She looked back at him, "I guess that is a yes."

"Deal."

After they finish their food, Fitz drove back to the pharmacy to pick up the medicine. Liv refuse to let him pay for it even though he tried. They agreed that they would get Liv car from the parking garage on Monday because it was closed for the weekend. Fitz drove them home and was surprised when he pulled up at a modest house in a caul-de-sac where a Mercedes Benz was parked in the two car garage and a F150 parked behind it.

He and Liv got out the car. Fitz grabbed the baby carrier and they walked towards the house. Liv twisted the door to find it unlock. Fitz was not prepared for what he was about to walk in on.

"David, just admit that you fucked her."

A man yelled from the downstairs bedroom, "Abby, if I fucked her then I would say it. Don't put words in my mouth. I hate when you do that shit."

The woman yelled back, "Then why did she spend the night at your place if you didn't fuck her?"

Fitz looked at Liv with a confused look on his face.

She looked apologetic, "Sorry, Fitz. That's my roommate Abby and her fuck-buddy David. I am sure they are arguing about his ex-girlfriend or some other chick. They are always arguing."

Liv told him to wait at the bottom of the stairs while she walked to the bedroom down the hall where the noise was coming from.

"Knock, Knock." She said loudly.

A feisty red-head opened the door, "Hey Liv, I didn't hear you come in."

She pointed towards the front door, "Yeah, Abby the front door was left unlocked again."

Abby slapped her hand on her forehead, "Sorry about that, Liv. David and I are having another argument which I am sure that you heard."

Liv nodded her head, "Yeah, I just came from the hospital with Allie and she is sleeping so can you two please keep it down?"

Abby was horrified, "Oh my God, Liv. Is she okay?"

"Yeah, just an allergic reaction."

Abby hugged Liv, "Ok. We will keep it down."

Liv walked back towards the stairway where Fitz and Allison were waiting. He followed her up the stairs and they entered into a room with ALLISON written on the door. From the looks of it, he assumed it was her nursery.

Fitz sat the carrier down while Liv pulled some sleeping clothes out of the drawers. Fitz stood there frozen for a minute. The weight of the situation was pressing down on him. Every fiber in his body was telling him to run. He knew this situation was not easy but he was tired of taking the easy way out. The baby started squirming and waking up.

"Um, Liv. Do you think I can hold her?"

Liv almost choked. He was full of surprises. She bent down and unhooked the baby from the carrier. She placed her in his arms. He held her upright with her head on his chest. After a minute, he finally released a breath that he didn't realize he was holding.

Liv looked at how nervous he was. "Is this your first time holding a baby?"

He smiled, "Is it that obvious?"

She started rubbing his back to calm his nerves, "You are doing fine. Why don't you sit in the rocking chair and rock her while I run down stairs to get some more bottles?"

He sat down and rocked her. She moved a little but after while his nerves slowly settled. Liv was gone for about 10 minutes. When she came back, he was completely comfortable with holding the baby. He helped Liv change her into her night clothes and she allowed him to lay her down in the crib. He stood there and marveled at how peaceful she looked as she slept. He had a niece and nephew but he was never around them long enough to hold them or bond with them. They left the nursery and stood in the hallway for a moment.

Fitz thought he may have a shot with her, "Would you like to show me your bedroom?"

She rolled her eyes, "Nice try Romeo."

"Hey, it was worth a shot."

They walked down the stairs towards the front door. She kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you Fitz, for everything you did for me today. I guess you are not such a bad guy after all."

He brushed a piece of hair from her face, "No you were right about me. I guess it took a special person to call me out on my shit."

They laughed. He wanted to kiss her so bad just as much as she wanted to kiss him but neither would make the move.

He broke the silence, "I will pick you up at 1 pm tomorrow so can you and Allison be ready by then."

"We will be ready."

Fitz turned and walked out the door. Liv watched him as he walked to his car and drove off. She walked up the stairs with a smile on her face as she looked in on Allison to see that she was still sleeping. Tonight was going to be a hell of a night but at least she had tomorrow to look forward to.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Fitz got up at around 10 am the next morning. He watched TV last night until he fell asleep on the couch. He wondered if Olivia got any sleep last night because of the baby. He wanted to text her to see if she was ok but he forgot to get her phone number. He thought about his missed opportunity to kiss her last night when she walked him to the door. He dreamed of having her juicy lips on his. He smiled thinking about staring into her bright brown eyes and how her face would light up when she smiled. She had the most beautiful laugh he had ever heard.

He was anxious and nervous about their date. He couldn't wait any longer to see her. So he decided to get dressed and have his breakfast. He wanted to look perfect for her. He thought about her in the shower which instantly made him hard. It had been a month since he had any type of sexual relations so he decided to relieve himself in the shower with thoughts of Olivia. After his shower, he walked to his walk-closet and tried to decide what to wear. He decided to go casual with a polo style shirt and khaki pants with his Italian Bruno Magli Brown shoes. After combing his hair, shaving and brushing his teeth, he walked downstairs to his kitchen where his maid, Juanita, was cleaning up the kitchen. Juanita was an elderly Hispanic lady that had a maternal nature to Fitz admired so much.

"Good morning, Master Grant. What would you like for breakfast this morning?"

He sat down at the breakfast table,"Just some toast and eggs will be fine."

"Yes, sir. Big plans for today, sir?"

A smile came on his face. "Yeah, actually I do. I have a date with a fascinating woman and her daughter."

Juanita stopped what she was doing and looked at him. She touched his forehead to see if he had a fever. "Are you sure you are alright, Sir? I believe I may be hallucinating. You have a date with a single mother and you are okay with that."

He chuckled, "Yeah, I am fine with that. You know at first I kind of wanted to freak out but the more you look at that beautiful child and how they interact with each other, the more I want to get to know them."

Juanita turned her back and went back to fixing his breakfast.

Fitz thought for a moment, "You know she let me hold her last night. That was the first baby I ever held in my life."

Juanita turned back to him with a look of shock and awe, "You mean to tell me that her daughter is a baby."

"Yeah, 5 months." He said with a smile.

Juanita just looked at him and the big goofy grin he had plastered on his face. "Sir, I will be frank and honest with you. I have worked for you for a few years and I must admit that I have seen the growth and progress you have made over the last few weeks. I can only assume that she is the reason for this change in you. But do not play games with her. I was raised by a single mother of 5. I was the oldest so I got watch men after men flash their pretty smiles and make empty promises after empty promises. My mother would fall for it every time but once she became pregnant with the new baby, they would bail on her. It's all fun and games until the responsibility becomes yours. So if you are not serious about this woman then you need to do her a favor and leave her alone."

Fitz sat there silently taking in her words. Was this all just a game? Was he intrigued by her because she made him work for her attention? Was she just a conquest? Could he see himself sticking with her for a while? Was he just a big kid that wanted what he was not supposed to touch? Those questions ran through his mind as Juanita fixed his breakfast. He finished eating and checked his watch. It was 12:12. He needed to leave now if he wanted to be on time.

He chose to drive his Cadillac Escalade today instead of the Rover. Part of him wanted to impress her and show off but he also wanted her to have more leg room if she decided to ride in the back with the baby. He made it to her place in about 30 minutes. It was 12:50 when he knocked on the door.

When the door opened, a vision in pink stood before him that made him weak in his knees. Liv have a pink floral dress that stopped right above her knees. She wore her hair natural and curly. It stopped at her shoulder. Her makeup was simple but flawless. Her lips were red and juicy begging to be kissed. Before he knew what was happening, his lips were pressed against hers with his hands cupping her face. At first the kiss caught her off guard as it slowly began to deepen her lips parted allowing his tongue to enter her mouth. After what seemed like an eternity, they pulled away. He rested his forehead on her while tracing the outline of her face with his fingers.

"Hi" He spoke in a whisper.

"Hi" She responded trying to calm her heartbeat which was racing out of control.

"Sorry but I have been wanting to do that since last night."

She smiled as she breathed in the scent of him. They sat like that for a minute until she heard Abby yell, "Liv, who is that at the door."

They jumped apart and he followed her into the kitchen to find a white guy in pajama pants and t-shirt sitting at the kitchen table with the redhead he caught a glimpse of last night.

Liv pointed towards them, "Fitz, this is my roommate Abby and her-um- _friend_ , David. Guys, this is Fitz."

Everyone nodded and waved at each other. Fitz didn't want to get too personal because he noticed the way Liv introduced David. He looked around the kitchen and saw Allison in her swing fully alert. He couldn't help but smile as he walked over to her.

In his cute baby voice he spoke to her, "Hey, Allie. I see you are bright and happy today."

Liv stood back smiling and admiring the interaction between them. She noticed that Abby was looking at her strangely trying to figure out what was going on. Liv mouthed to her, "I will explain later." Abby shook her head and continued to watch the display before her.

Liv looked back at Fitz, "Hey can you grab her out of there for me so I can change her before we leave?"

"Sure. No problem." He looked at the swing strange like it was a foreign object or something.

Liv finally said, "Just stop the swing with your hand." He did. "Now just unhook her from the straps." He did as instructed. Once Allie was free, he picked her and followed Liv upstairs to the nursery. He placed her on the changing table and she smiled back at him.

Liv stepped in front of him and started changing her clothes and diaper. Fitz just sat back and admired the view especially of her ass. He was never really an ass man but he couldn't help staring at hers all the time even at work. Once she was done with the baby, she placed her in the carrier. When she tried to pick it up, Fitz stopped her again.

"I got this. You just get the diaper bag."

"Fitz, I can carry her. Believe it or not, I do it all the time."

He grabbed her face and kissed her like he did before. This time her tongue went in his mouth while she tasted and sucked his bottom lip. It was so sensual and passionate that he felt himself getting hard so he quickly stopped the kiss.

He pulled back and looked deeply into her eyes, "Just for today, let me help take care of you. No arguing and fussing at me for trying to help. Just learn to go with the flow, ok."

"Okay."

He grabbed the baby carrier and together they walked back downstairs. After he got the baby strapped into the car, he went into the garage for the stroller and placed it in the back portion of his truck.

Liv opted to ride up front with Fitz since the baby was not crying. They pulled out of the driveway and headed towards the Santa Monica Pier.

Liv spoke out of the blue, "You do know that I am not impressed with the cars that you have."

He chuckled, "Believe me, I know. It takes a lot to impress a woman like you. I just drove this today so that you could have some leg room if you ride in the back."

Her heart almost wanted to melt. "Thank you that was really considerate of you. By the way, how many cars do you have?"

"Just the three. No more than that. How about you?"

"Just the one. My mom always said why do you need more than one car when you can only drive one at a time?"

"True. Your mother is a wise woman."

He could see that she was in deep thought thinking about her mother, "Yes, she is. She is a phenomenal woman. I just wish I had half her strength and a portion of her wisdom."

He took her hand into his intertwining their fingers. He brought her hand to his lips, "I think you are pretty phenomenal yourself."

She started blushing. Her face was turning red and she was starting to feel a little warm. She looked at her hand in his and suddenly wanted her hands all over his body. She missed the feeling of having his lips on hers. She missed how he tasted and softness of his hands on her face. She was so deep in thought that she didn't hear him talking to her.

"Liv?"

Breaking out of her trance, "Huh? Yeah?'

"I asked how you slept last night."

"Oh, well. She woke up about three times last night. I finally got tired of getting up and placed her in my bed." She chuckled.

"I wanted to text you and see how you two were doing last night but I realized that I didn't have your number."

She looked at him and realized that he was right. With everything that has happened, they never exchanged numbers. "Well I could give it to you now if you want it."

He pulled his phone out of his pocket, "Since I am driving can you put it in for me?"

She took his phone and added her name to his contacts. She called her phone from his and saved his number to her own contacts. Just as she was handing him his phone back, a video message came to his phone.

"You have a message."

He took his phone and played his message to find that Stephen had sent him a video of the fuckfest they had from the night before with a message, "This is what you missed." He laughed out loud startling Liv.

"What's so funny?"

He shook his head, "Nothing. My friends are stupid. They called me last night to see if I wanted to go out. I told them no so they sent me a video showing me what I missed out on."

She chuckled because he was still laughing, "Can I see the video?"

He stopped laughing when she asked because he wasn't sure if it was a good idea but he went against his better judgment and showed her anyway.

The video showed a white guy, a black guy and a short Latino guy each getting their dicks sucked by 4 completely naked college age girls. Liv turned her head from the video towards the window. She had seen enough. She slowly pulled her hand from Fitz's hand and sat in silence.

Fitz knew this was the reaction he was going to get which is why he was reluctant to show her. "Come on Liv. Don't be like that. It's not like you or I was in the video."

"This time." She slowly turned to face him, "So is this what you guys do? See who can make the best porno?"

He threw his hands up, "Nobody is making a porno."

"Fitz, what the hell type of video was that? Where I am from that is straight porn?"

Fitz shook his head, "Ok maybe that was porn but it's not something we do all the time."

"So you are going to sit here and tell me that you don't have naked pictures of women in your phone. That you haven't sent pictures or videos to your friends. Are you really going to lie to me?"

He sighed, "Okay, maybe I have done it once or twice and I may have those types of pictures in my phone but what does that have to do with us."

Her voice raised slightly, "It has everything to do with us. I don't even know what we are or what the hell I am doing with you. Every fiber in my body is telling me to run as far away from you as humanly possible. You say and do these nice things but in the back of my mind this is all some type of game to you. You have a track record of being a man-whore and if I let myself fall for you then I will end up hurt or worse, there may be a video of me doing god knows what plastered all over the internet."

Fitz was hurt by her words, "A man-whore? Is that what you think of me?"

She responded dryly, "A spade is a spade, Fitz."

He bit his bottom lip and gripped the steering wheel trying to contain his anger. _Man-whore._ He gathered his thoughts, "Okay, maybe I was a man-whore. Maybe I banged a bunch of women that I didn't know their names. Yes I acted immature and childish with my friends sending videos and pictures of my sexcapades but since I met you I haven't been that person. Since I met you, I haven't wanted to be that person. I like waking up in the morning knowing where I am and not feeling like the scum of the Earth because I lied and degraded some poor girl who I will never see again. This is not a game to me. You are not a game to me. I like you. I want to get to know you. I am taking you out on a date. I haven't been on a date or even kissed a girl in over two years so that should tell you that this isn't game. I had an opportunity to have a threesome with identical twins the day I met you but it was something about you that made me not want to go through with it. So I would rather have blue balls and be with you than to bag a different chick every night."

She sat in silence absorbing his words. She finally spoke, "So all those women you have been with, you never kissed them?"

He shook his head, "Never. Kissing is too personal to me. Nothing about sleeping with those women was personal. I was on a mission to get mine and I didn't give a damn about them or their needs."

"What else don't you do with them?"

He sighed, "I never bring them back to my place. I don't give them my phone number. I don't go down on them." He grabbed her hand back into his intertwining their fingers, "And I never hold their hands."

She smiled at the thought that maybe she was special to him. She wanted to believe everything he was saying but she still had her doubts. He understood that she had doubts but it was his job to make sure that his actions matched his words.

They made it to the pier. They placed the baby in the stroller. Liv tried to push but of course Fitz stopped her. He pushed the stroller with one hand while holding Liv's hand with the other. They stopped at a few stops along the boardwalk. Fitz bought Allie at T-Shirt that had "Santa Monica Pier" written on it along with other outfits that Liv fell in love with. They went to the Aquarium at the pier taking a group photo upon entering the facilities. They walked at a leisurely pace as they viewed the animal in their habitat. Both Liv and Fitz took countless photos with Allie on their phones. Liv was even kissed on the cheeks by a sea lion.

They walked to the carnival part of the pier. Fitz won a huge stuffed Teddy bear for Allie. They went for a ride on the Ferris wheel which they rode twice because they enjoyed the view. Holding Allison in her arms, Liv leaned her body on Fitz with his arms around her waist. His head was in the crook her neck and he couldn't help placing little kisses on exposed skin. Liv enjoyed those kisses as she closed her eyes and got lost in the moments. Allison's cries broke her from his spell and she soon realized that the baby was hungry. Since they were stopped high up in the air and the diaper bag was on the ground in the stroller, Liv had no choice but to feed her the boob. Fitz smiled at the sneak peek he got of her boob but marveled at the natural process of breastfeeding a child. By the time they made it completely around the second time Allison was done feeding. They placed her back in the stroller and she fell asleep.

Now it was time for them to stuff their faces. They stopped at Bubba Gump Shrimp on the boardwalk. Normally Fitz would order a beer but he ordered a Coke instead. Liv ordered lemonade. Since Liv has an allergy to scaled fish and not shell fish, she ordered crab legs and steamed shrimp. It sounded so good that Fitz ordered the same. Liv gave him a puzzling look because she knows how much he loves fish especially grilled tilapia.

He looked at her looking at him, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

She chuckled, "I just knew you would order fish."

He smiled, "Maybe I was thinking about you and decided against it."

Shocked, she asked, "What do you mean?"

He paused and thought before speaking, "This is going to sound so stupid but I read somewhere about a girl that had a severe allergy to peanuts and her boyfriend had kissed her after eating a peanut butter sandwich. The girl died from an allergic reaction. So I didn't want to get fish and kiss you causing you to have an allergic reaction. Plus Allie has that same allergy and I don't want to touch her making her have one either."

Liv heart yearned for him. He was being so sweet and considerate. Now she understood and just said, "Okay."

The waiter brought their drinks. Fitz looked at her, "Why don't you like David?"

Liv rolled her eyes, "Look-um-it's not that I don't like David. I just don't like him with Abby. David is a lying two-faced dog."

"Wow. Do you care to clarify?"

Liv clarified, "For starters, David has an on-again, off-again girlfriend. She keeps breaking up with him because he keeps sleeping with Abby. I overheard him one night whispering to her on the phone that she was the only one for him. This was after he had just fucked Abby. He wants his cake and eat it too. I keep telling Abby to leave him alone but she keeps letting him back in her pants and heart. So I don't like him with her but I keep my feelings to myself."

"Okay, second question. Why not move? I mean, I know how much money you make so living alone in a nice place will not break you. Why stay in that drama?"

She thought for moment, "Abby is my backbone. She was there when I had no one else. She was in the delivery room when I had Allison. She is my best friend. I wouldn't be the mother I am without Abby. I just can't do it alone so I stay."

Fitz shook his head signaling that he understood her situation.

She looked at him, "So, Fitzy, tell me something about yourself."

He chuckled, " _Fitzy_ , huh. Well, I guess it's better than you calling me, Fitzgerald. What do you want to know that you don't already know?"

"Tell me about your family."

He smiled, "Well, you know about my dad. He was married to my mom for over 35 years. She died of cancer a few years ago. He took it pretty hard. I have an older sister named Emily who is married with two kids. She lives in Santa Barbara. I see her around the holiday like Thanksgiving which is coming up. Since my mother's death, my father has dated every socialite known to man. He usually spends the holidays in the Alps or with his hands up some woman's skirt. I go see my sister so I am not alone. Um-let's see-you saw the video of my friends. Stephen has been like a brother to me since I can remember. Harrison and Huck, I met them in college. My dad wants me to follow in his and my grandfather's footsteps by taking over the company which I have been training to do for three years. I come from old money on both sides of my family. So even if my father decides to fire me, I know I won't be broke."

"Why would your father fire you?"

He bit his bottom lip before responding, "Because he told me to stay away from you. He told me that you were the best thing to happen to the company and if he had to choose between me and you then I would be out in the cold. But trust me after seeing you in action, I would choose you over me too."

She stared into his blue eyes then her eyes fell to his soft lips that only hours earlier had been on hers. He was not the same man that she had met a month ago. That man was just a shell of a man. The guy that sat before her was a real man. She looked at him and wondered aloud, "What happened to you?"

He was confused by her question, "What do you mean?"

She looked him in the eye, "Who hurt you so badly to make you turn into a man that used and degraded women for his pleasure?"

He cleared his throat, "Well, I wouldn't say I was hurt but I was definitely pissed. Her name was Mellie. She was a girl my father had picked out for me to marry because she came from a good home. Shortly after our engagement she leaves me for a man that she had been screwing the entire time we were together. So here I was faithful turning down women left and right while she was spreading her legs for this other dude. After that I made it my mission to bang as many chicks as I wanted. I know it's not pretty or right but at the time that what I wanted to do."

She simply asked, "And now?"

He looked into her beautiful eyes, "And now I want to get to know you and see where this leads." He took her hand, "Look, I have a past and you have a past but that's where we need to leave it in the past. The only thing that matters is right now. The only women that are on my mind are you and Allison. So can we not talk about Mellie or any other woman I have been with? I just want to focus on the two of you."

They ate their dinner and left the pier because it was dark and cool. Fitz decided that he wasn't ready for the date to end so he rented a movie, Liv's choice, and got popcorn so they could watch TV at her house. They walked into an empty house to find Abby and David gone. They placed Allie in her swing and she went back to sleep. Fitz sat in the corner of the couch with one leg on the couch pulling Liv between his legs and into his arms. She sat with her back to him and his arms wrapped tightly around my waist. They rented 'The Best Man Holiday' which is one of Liv's favorite movies. They fed each other popcorn as they laughed and cried during the whole movie. When the movie went off, they stayed in their same position neither of them wanting to move.

Fitz rubbed his hand over collarbone lightly touching her exposed skin. He breathed in the scent of her shampoo and instantly loved the scent of her. "I love you hair like this. It makes you look so young and free. Why don't you wear it like this more often?"

She was getting lost in his voice and touch. "Ah-I-um-I only wear it like this on the weekend. I can't be taken seriously at work looking like a college kid."

"Well I think you look super sexy. If you wear your hair like that to work, I won't be able to keep my hands off of you."

He started kissing her collarbone working his way to her neck and behind her ears. She moaned with pleasure. The sounds of her moans were turning him on. She could feel his erection poking her in her back. He turned her face towards him so that he could finally access her mouth.

"I love kissing your beautiful lips." His baritone voice made her lose control as she grabbed his face and pulled his lips to hers.

His hands roamed up and down her body while she ran her hands through his curls. Without breaking their deep kiss, they turned their bodies on the couch where Liv was on her back with Fitz hovering over her. Their tongues were in and out of each other's mouths as struggled to breathe neither wanting the kiss to end. Fitz rubbed his erection on her stomach as his hand went under her dress. He felt the wetness of her panties and knew she was hot for him. He rubbed the inside of thighs while he slowly pulled away from the kiss and started kissing her chin and jawline.

Liv was starting to shake from sensual nature of his touch. It had been a while since she had been touch this way. Her head was telling her to stop but her body was aching for more. The more he touched her, the wetter she got. If he kept this up, she would have an orgasm just from his touch. He had slowly started pulling her dress up when they heard the front door open. They sat up real quickly and separated from each other.

A crying Abby walked into the house, "Can you believe that he is with her tonight?"

Fitz sat still trying get his erection to go down.

Liv was still feeling a little flush but was able to compose herself to speak to Abby. "Abby, how do you know that?"

Crying hysterically, "I went to his apartment because he wasn't answering his phone and I saw her car there."

Liv said nonchalantly, "Well, Abby, she is his girlfriend. I keep telling you to leave him alone."

She slammed her purse on the table waking up Allison. Liv picked up the crying baby and tried to soothe her.

"Sorry, Liv. I thought she was asleep upstairs."

Shushing the baby, "It's fine, Abby. I understand that you are upset."

Abby noticed Fitz for the first time as well, "So to interrupt you guys' date with my problems."

Liv looked at Fitz, "No Abby, Fitz was just leaving."

Fitz was shocked. He thought for sure they were going to finish what they started but her friend was upset plus the baby was awake. There was no way to finish anything now.

With his erection finally gone he stood up from the couch, "Yeah, I need to get home anyway. See you later Abby."

"Bye, Fitz"

Liv walked him to door. "I am sorry about tonight."

"No, it's fine. Take care of your friend. Text me later after you put Allie down."

"Okay. Drive carefully."

They exchange a quick kiss on the lips making sure not to deepen it too much because Abby was watching. When they pulled back he kissed her forehead then he kissed the back of Allie's head.

"Good night, pretty girl. Bye Liv."

Fitz walked out of the house, got in his car and drove back home. He smiled thinking about Liv and their beautiful day together. At that moment, he hated David too. If it wasn't for David, Abby would have never ruined their evening.

He got home and changed into his pajama pants. He was watching Sportscenter on TV when his phone dinged with a text message. He was hoping it was from Liv but it was from Stephen.

 **Stephen: Happening party going on tonight with a major fuckfest to follow. Please say you are down. I need my wingman tonight.**

Fitz chuckled at his friend. **Not tonight dude.**

 **Stephen: Your loss!**

Five minutes later his phone dinged again. He groaned thinking it was Stephen begging him to go out but his smile when he saw it was from Liv.

 **Liv: In case I never told you, I had a great time today.**

 **Fitz: My pleasure, I would love to take you out again just say when.**

 **Liv: Let me think about that. I am still dealing with Abby right now but I just wanted to tell you good night and sweet dreams.**

 **Fitz: My dreams will be super sweet because I will be dreaming of you.**

 **Liv: ;)**

With that he drifted off to sleep with sweet dreams of Liv.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next morning, Liv came downstairs to fix breakfast and was surprised to see Abby in the kitchen. She thought for sure that Abby was going to sleep late since Sunday is her only off day for the week.

"Good morning, Liv."

"Morning, Abby. How did you sleep?"

"I slept great. I am officially done with David and his drama. It is a load off of my mind."

Liv rolled her eyes because she has heard this before, "That's good Abby because he is nothing but trouble and heartache."

Liv's phone dinged with a text message alert.

 **Fitz: Good Morning, Beautiful.**

She smiled because she knew it was from Fitz.

Abby looked at her noticing her smile, "Is that from the new lover boy?"

Liv sighed, "He is not a lover boy. We are just friends."

"Yeah well I walked in on you two being extra friendly."

Liv had a look of shock on her face, "You saw us."

"Yes I did. By the way, sorry to interrupt."

Liv thought for a moment, "Actually I am kind of glad that you did. No telling what would have happened if you didn't."

"You don't like him."

"The opposite actually."

Abby was confused.

Liv sat down at the kitchen table, "He is sort of my boss or rather my boss's son."

Abby had a look of shock and horror, "Shut up. You are fucking your boss."

Liv explained, "First of all, there is no fucking and he is my boss's son."

Abby was intrigued, "So where did you two meet?"

Trying to be vague, "We-um-kind of, sort of work together."

"Kind of, sort of? Either you do or you don't."

Liv finally gave up, "We do."

Abby squealed, "Liv, you are a bad girl. Plus he is fine as hell."

"That's the other problem. He's a man-whore Abby. He has player written all over him. I can't be with a guy like that."

"Liv, you haven't had sex in over a year. It's probably been even longer since you had a good fuck because lord knows Jake wasn't packing shit. Sometimes all you need is one good fuck to tie you over until Mr. Right comes along."

Liv raised an eyebrow at her friend, "Really Abby?"

"Yes. Trust me on this. I understand that you want to do right by Allie but you have needs. Take care of you for a change."

Liv shook her head, "This is nonsense. I will not even entertain your words. I just need to stay away from him."

"If you say so."

Liv fixed her a bowl of cereal and waited for Allison to wake up. Fitz had texted and asked her what her plans were for the day. She told him that she was going to relax and hang out at home. He asked if she wanted company but she declined. Fitz spent his Sunday playing basketball with the boys like always. A few girls tried to hit on him but he was not interested in them. After the game, the boys went to a diner for lunch.

Stephen hit on the waitress but she had eyes for Fitz. He respectfully declined her advances and his friends took notice.

Stephen spoke first, "All right, Fitz. What the hell is going on with you? You are turning down pussy left and right. You don't want to go out at night with us anymore? So what's the deal man?"

Fitz smiled, "I met someone."

His friends' mouths dropped. Harrison was in disbelief, "What do you mean you met someone?"

"I mean I met a beautiful woman that I really like."

Huck looked at him, "Damn was the pussy that good."

Fitz pointed to him, "First of all you will not talk about her that way. Second of all we haven't had sex."

They all burst out laughing. Stephen shook his head, "Wait a minute, when did you meet this girl?"

"A month ago. We sort of work together."

Stephen said, "So she is another temp?"

"No she is not a temp. She is the new advertising exec. She is awesome, wonderful, smart and beautiful. When she walks into a room, she commands attention and she gets it. My father loves her because she will bring tons of money to the firm. But not only that, she is this amazing person. To be honest, she is the most amazing person I have ever met. When I kiss her, it's like I am tasting heaven."

Harrison interrupted, "Dude, dude come on man. She is all of that and you still ain't hit it yet."

Fitz groaned, "We were about to do something last night but her roommate came home upset." Fitz pulled his phone out of his pocket and showed them a pic of him, Olivia and Allie from the pier yesterday. He pointed to the pic, "That's Olivia and that's her daughter, Allison."

They looked at the picture and their eyes shifted from the picture to Fitz because he had this big grin on his face.

Harrison spoke, "Yeah man she is hot. Cute kid too."

"Yeah she is." He put his phone back in his pocket, "Now that you know can you please cool it with the videos and naked pictures. No more fuckfests unless I tell you otherwise."

Everyone nodded. Stephen raised his glass, "To Fitz and Olivia."

"Fitz and Olivia."

X X

Monday came and Fitz picked up Liv for work because her car was still at the office from Friday. They drove Allie to daycare and agreed that they would remain professional at work. Liv worked hard at keeping her distance from Fitz which didn't go unnoticed by him. Whenever he would offer to come over to her house, she would always make up an excuse. They constantly texted and called each other. Every night they talked on the phone till late at night. Fitz had gotten accustomed to her voice being the last thing he heard at night and the first thing he heard in the morning. The week went by rather quickly. Fitz asked to take her on a date that weekend but she told him that she had to do some work for the Coca-Cola meeting Monday morning.

That following Monday, Liv walked into the conference room with her power suit on ready for business. She took her usual seat next to Fitz. He became intoxicated by the scent of her. He saw her exposed skin on her neck and desperately wanted to suck on it. She worked hard at avoiding any kind of contact with him.

Across from them sat Edison Davis of Davis and Meyers Management. They are the firm that manages Coca-Cola's advertisement campaign. Olivia started the meeting and all eyes were focused on her. Fitz once again found himself staring at her body but this time he was remembering how she felt in his arms. He was remembering how her skin and mouth tasted. But halfway through the meeting, Liv's assistant Quinn pulled her out for a phone call.

Once she was out of the room, Edison turned towards the men, "Where did you guys find her?"

Cyrus smiled, "She is amazing huh?"

"Amazing and hot."

When he said that, Fitz just felt his blood starting to boil. That when he realized that he hadn't been the only one staring at her wondering what she looked like naked.

Liv came back in the room and apologized for the interruption. Before she could continue, Edison stopped her. "Ms. Pope there is no need to go any further. This presentation is wonderful. We will definitely give this to our clients to consider."

She smiled at him, "Thank you, Mr. Davis and please call me Olivia."

He took her hand in his and brought it to his mouth. He kissed the back of her hand, "That is a beautiful name. Tell me, Olivia, are you seeing anyone right now?"

Her eyes shot a quick glance over to Fitz. She could see the anger in his eyes. She looked back at Edison, "I am sorry, Mr. Davis but I don't date."

He smiled, "Well let's just skip dating and get right to marriage."

She chuckled realizing he was still holding her hand, "I appreciate the offer but I have to respectfully decline."

"Well that just means I have to work a little harder to win you over." He walked back to where his things were. He looked at Cyrus and Big Jerry, "Guys, I will definitely be in touch."

They all shook hands. Olivia walked back to her area and gathered her belongings. She walked to her office and closed the door. Within two minutes she heard a knock on her door and immediately she knew who it was.

"Come in."

Fitz walked in the door closing it behind him. He didn't bother sitting down instead he started pacing. "What the hell was that?"

Playing dumb, "What? I thought it was a great meeting?"

He stopped and looked at her, "I am talking about after the meeting when that guy was hitting on you and you let him."

"I didn't let him, Fitz."

He folded his arms, "Oh really cause he sure held your hand a long ass time."

Liv sat back in her chair, "So what? You were there. I turned him down."

"No what you should have said was sorry but I am kind of seeing someone right now."

She gave an honest reply, "That would have been a lie."

Fitz was shocked by her statement, "A lie? So you are not seeing me?"

"Fitz, we went out on two dates. That hardly counts as us seeing each other."

He gave an exasperating sigh, "That's because you keep pushing me away and making bullshit excuses."

She stood up and walked around her desk, "Fitz we all know how this is going to end. The minute I sleep with you then you are out the door. I can see this coming a mile away."

He was hurt by her words, "Is that how you see me? After all I have said to you. What do I have to do to prove that I want to be with you?"

She sighed, "I don't know Fitz. Actions speak louder than words."

Digging in his pocket, "You want action huh?" He handed her his phone. "Look at it. Is that action enough for you?" His phone displayed the picture of the three of them as his home page. "Go through my pictures in my phone." She pulled up his gallery and found nothing but pictures of the three of them in his phones various pictures and selfies from their day at the pier and on the couch. She smiled at the most adorable picture of him holding Allie. He continued, "No more naked pictures or videos in my phone. Nothing but you and Allie, that's it. That's all I need. If that is not action enough for you then I don't know what more I can do."

He took his phone from her hand and walked out of her door. She didn't see him for the rest of the day. She went by his office but he was in an afternoon meeting with his father. She went home before she could talk to him face to face.

Later that night she called him after she put Allie to bed. The phone rung twice.

He answered in a low voice, "Hi."

"Hi." She paused, "What are you doing?"

"Just sitting here watching Monday Night Football hoping that you would call me."

"I am calling you."

He smiled. "Yes you are calling me."

She smiled and felt some relief, "You are right, I should have told him that I was seeing someone."

He sighed, "Don't worry about it. It's water under the bridge."

"No Fitz, it's not. I want to be with you. I want to give us a chance. I am sorry about the way I have been acting. It's not your issue, it's mine."

"No, Liv it is my issue. My track record made you doubt my words and you are right. From now on, I will let my actions speak for me. So does this means you are giving me another chance?"

"Only if you give me one."

He laughed, "Deal."

"Deal." She coughed, "I am going to go now. I think I am coming down with a cold or something so I am going to take some medicine to try and head it off."

He spoke in a whispered tone, "Okay. Call me if you need something."

"I will. Good night, Fitz."

"Good night, Liv." 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The next day Fitz went to Liv's office. He knocked on the door but he didn't receive an answer. He asked her assistant, "Quinn, is Liv in today?"

"I am sorry, Mr. Grant but she called in sick today."

He walked to his office and pulled out his cellphone once the door closed.

Liv answered on the third ring hacking and coughing at the same time. Her voice sounded real nasally, "Hello."

"Hey, what's wrong with you?"

Coughing, "I think I am dying.

He smiled, "Who is taking care of you?"

"No one. Abby took Allie to day care so I am home alone."

He grabbed his keys off the desk, "I will be there in 20 minutes."

He hung up and walked to his assistant Lauren.

"Lauren, I am out for the day. If you need me, please call my phone but only if it is an emergency."

"You got it, Mr. Grant."

He actually made it to Liv's house in 40 minutes instead of 20 because he stopped by the drug store to get some medicine and he brought her some homemade soup from the local bistro. She was in her pajamas and house robe when she answered the door. She had made a make shift sick bed on the couch with tissue paper and a trash can by her side.

She laid back down on the couch and pulled her blanket up to her neck. He sat down beside her and saw how pitiful she looked. He stroked the side of her cheek noticing that she felt a little warm.

"Baby, I think you may have a fever. When was the last time you checked your temperature?"

Coughing, "Earlier this morning. It was slightly high. I took some Tylenol."

He took his thermometer out of the bag, "Let me check it again." He bought the one that goes in the ear. It beeped. "101.5, that is a little high. Let's get you some more medicine. Now what are you symptoms?"

"Cough, fever, congestion and runny nose."

He went through all the medicines he had bought until he found the one with those exact symptoms. He poured her some orange juice he had brought so that she could take her medicine. After she took it, he warmed up the soup and spoon fed some to her.

Liv wasn't used to someone taking care of her. She had to admit that she liked it very much. She felt comfortable drinking the soup because he knew what she was allergic to and he assured her that he asked about all the ingredients. Thirty minutes after eating, she started to feel drowsy from the medication.

Fitz decided that it would be best if she went upstairs to lay in her bed just in case Abby and David came home arguing again. He picked her up and carried her up the stairs to her bedroom. He liked how she decorated her room. It was actually his first time seeing the inside of it. He laid her down on the bed and placed her under the cover.

She said drowsily, "Where are you going?"

He took off his shoes, suit jacket and tie. He laid down in the bed with her placing his arms around her, "Shh. I am not going anywhere. I will be right here when you wake up."

Fitz fell asleep but was awaken several hours later by a knock at Liv's bedroom door.

He heard Abby's voice, "Liv?"

Fitz got up and opened the door. Abby was standing there with Allie in her arms. Fitz whispered, "She is sleeping."

Abby had a look of panic on her face and whispered to him, "Well wake her up. We have a problem."

"What is the problem? Maybe I can help."

Abby sighed, "I have to go back to work and Liv's parents are supposed to come and get Allie but they won't be here for another hour."

Fitz rubbed his fingers through his hair. He thought for a moment. "Just give Allie to me and I will watch her until Liv's parents get here."

Abby looked at him strangely for a moment, "Are you sure? Do you even know how to take care of a baby?"

He lied and said, "Yeah, I got this plus if I need anything, I will just ask Liv."

Realizing that she didn't have a choice, he handed Allie to Fitz. Fitz walked with Abby downstairs and sat on the couch with Allie. He didn't want her cries to disturb Liv.

Abby closed the door leaving Fitz and Allie alone. He held the alert child up in his arms. She smiled at him. He smiled at her and said, "It's just an hour. What could possibly go wrong?"

X X

It was the hour from hell. Allie cried and cried. Nothing Fitz did would soothe her. He tried bouncing her, walking her, talking to her but nothing worked. He felt like he was failing Liv. He didn't want to wake her because she needed her rest but he also needed help. There was only one person he could think to call that would help him. He took out his phone and pressed 3.

A woman's voice answered the phone, "Hello, Trey is that you?"

"Hey, Emily. Yeah it's me, your baby brother."

Allie was still crying. "Trey, why do I hear a baby crying in the background?"

"I am babysitting for a sick friend and the baby will not stop crying. I need your help. I don't know what to do."

"Well Trey did you try feeding her?"

Fitz felt really dumb at that moment. That was one thing he did not try to do. He went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle out of the refrigerator. "Okay, the mother breastfeeds her but I have a bottle that she pumped into."

"Okay, Trey look around and see does she have a bottle warmer."

He looked and next to the microwave was a bottle warmer. "Bingo, we got action."

"Good, now make sure it has water in it. Then turn it on and sit the bottle in there. It will probably take about 3 to 5 minutes for it to warm."

He did as she instructor. While they were waiting, he asked, "Wouldn't the microwave be quicker?"

"Yeah but it does heat the bottle evenly and it could scold the baby."

"Gotcha." After about 4 minutes he checked the bottle and it was warm. "Okay. It's done."

"First you need to test it on the inside of wrist to make sure that it's not too hot."

He did it. "Done. Now what do I do?"

"Now Trey, you simply feed the baby."

He placed the bottle in Allie's mouth and she took it. "Wow, Em. It's working. She is drinking the bottle."

"Good. When she is done make sure you burp her."

"How do I do that?"

"You hold her up to your shoulder and softly pat her back until she burps."

"Great. I will do that. Thanks again, Em. Love you so much."

"Anytime, Trey. Love you too. See you for Thanksgiving next week."

"Can't wait."

He hung up the phone and continued feeding Allie. He looked at her and in his cute baby voice he said, "Now that wasn't so bad. All you had to do was tell me that you were hungry. There was no need for all of that fussing." They walked upstairs towards Liv's room. "Let's check on Mommy and see if she is still asleep."

He peeked in the door to see that she was still in the place he left her. He quietly closed the door and walked back downstairs. By the time he reached the bottom, Allie was done with her bottle. He placed her over his shoulder and burped her like his sister said. She let out a huge monstrous burp. But she felt better afterwards. Fitz put her on the floor for some tummy time when the doorbell rang.

He picked her up, "Let's see who is at the door." He opened the door to find a middle aged black couple standing outside the door. He smiled at the realization of who they were, "Hello, you must be Liv's parents. Please come in."

Liv's mother had a confused look on her face. Who was this man? Why was he in her daughter's house? Why was he holding her granddaughter? They walked into the house looking around to see if anything was out of place but mainly looking for Liv.

Fitz closed the door behind them, "Abby told me that you would be here in an hour so we just waited downstairs for you guys."

Liv's mother finally spoke, "I am sorry who are you? Why are here?"

Fitz shook his head, "Forgive me, where are my manners?" He extended his hand, "My name is Fitzgerald Grant. I am Liv's boyfriend. I have been taking care of her today while she was sick. Abby brought Allie to me an hour ago and said that you guys were on the way."

They each shook his hand. Liv's mother continued to speak, "You are Liv's boyfriend? Liv never told us that she had a boyfriend. I think I would have remembered if she did."

"Well, we are kind of new."

"Okay. I am Maya, Liv's mother. This is Eli, Liv's father. Where is Liv?"

"She is upstairs sleeping. You can wake her up if you would like to. It is about time for her to take some more medication."

Both of her parents walked upstairs to her bedroom. Her mother knocked on the door loudly waking Liv up.

"Liv, wake up. It's mom and dad."

Feeling dazed and trying to focus her eyes to see her parents standing by her bedside, "Mom, Dad, what are you guys doing here?"

They sat on the edge of bed as she tried to sit up, "Well sweetie, Abby called and said that you were sick. So we came to get Allie and take care of her while you get well and so that she doesn't get sick."

Coughing, "Thanks mom but that is not necessary. I can take care of Allie just fine."

"Liv you can barely take care of yourself. And who is this guy downstairs? He said that he was your boyfriend."

"Fitz is still here?" She said it was a shock. When she didn't see him as she awakened, she just assumed that he had left.

"Yeah he is still here but that doesn't explain who he is."

"Mom, Fitz is my boyfriend. We have been seeing each other for a few weeks now. Nothing serious."

Her mother shook her head in disbelief, "Nothing serious? Are you kidding me? The man is here in the middle of day taking care of you and your daughter. I am sure he has a job that he could be at right now but instead he is here. That looks serious to me."

"Mom, please don't start."

"No, Liv you need to be careful. After everything that happened with Jake, you promised us no more secrets."

"I am not keeping secrets from you guys. We just started dating. He is nothing like Jake. He would never hurt me like that."

At that moment, Fitz knocked on the door. "Excuse me, sorry to interrupt but it's time for Liv to take her medicine."

Her parents moved away from the bed as Fitz came in carrying a tray full of things. He sat the tray on the nightstand as he sat on the bed. He touched her forehead and cheek. "How are you feeling?"

She tried to smile, "A little better."

"Good. Let's take your temperature." He put the thermometer in her ear. "100.3. it's slowly coming down." He passed her medicine and orange juice.

She took it. "Where is Allie?"

"Allie is downstairs in her swing right now sleeping like the beautiful baby she is."

Liv chuckled. "Thank you so much."

"Don't thank me. There is no place in the world I would rather be." He sensed the tension in the room and that was his cue to leave, "I got you some hot green tea. It is decaf. I warmed up some more soup for you. If you need anything else, I will be downstairs." He kissed her forehead and walked out of the room.

Maya sat down where Fitz had been sitting a few seconds ago. She looked at her daughter sipping her tea, "Nothing serious? Your father doesn't look at me the way that man looked at you."

"Mom-"

"Maya let it go." Eli spoke for the first time. "She said they aren't serious then we should respect that. Let's just get our granddaughter and let Liv get some rest. It looks like she is in capable hands."

Maya looked at her daughter. She gave her a kiss on the cheek. "We will bring her back as soon as you are well."

"Thanks mom. Thanks dad." She looked at her father thanking him for ending their conversation. They closed the door to her room and walked next door to the nursery to pack some of Allie's things. When they walked downstairs, Fitz was in the kitchen straighten up the mess he made. Maya took this as opportunity to get to know the man that had her daughter in capable hands.

"So _Fitzgerald_ , is it?"

He smiled, "Please call me Fitz."

She sat down at the kitchen table. "Ok, Fitz come have a seat over her with us." Eli and Fitz both joined her at the table.

Fitz was starting to get kind of nervous. He wasn't ready to meet Liv's parents but circumstances changed.

Eli cleared his throat, "What are your intentions with my daughter?"

Wow was all Fitz could think. They went right for the jugular. "Well, sir, I think you daughter is a fascinating woman. I find myself intrigued by her beauty both inside and out. Right now, I just want to get to know her more and see where this could go."

Maya barely gave him time to finish before she jumped in with the next question. "Where do you work?"

"I-um-I work at the Grant Advertising Agency with Liv. The CEO, Big Jerry, is my father. It is a company that was started by my grandfather and soon it will be passed down to me."

"So you are her boss?"

His nerves were starting to get to him. "N-um-not necessarily. Technically I am her boss's son."

Maya sat straight up, "Well technically, once you take over, you will be her boss. Right?"

Fidgeting with his ear, "Yes, once I take over."

Eli and Maya looked at each other. Eli spoke, "So let's say things don't work out between you two. Then you become her boss, how is that going to work?"

Very timidly, Fitz responded, "I don't know. We haven't really thought it through."

"Of course you haven't." Maya was fuming. "You pretty boys never think it through. Liv is no different. I would have thought after what happened to her in her last relationship that she would learn to think it through but I guess that was false hope. So let me tell you something, _Fitzgerald_ , if you think we are going to idly sit by while our daughter is abuse and mistreat again. Then you have another thing coming. Maybe you should think about that." She grabbed her purse, "Let's go, Eli."

They gathered Allie and all of her things leaving Fitz sitting at the table. After a few minutes he walked upstairs to Liv's room. Surprisingly, she was wake watching TV in her bed. She turned it the TV off when he walked into room. He had a defeated look on his face and it was the first thing she noticed. Coughing, she pulled back the covers and invited him to lay with her. He climbed in the bed pulling her into his arms. She laid her head on his chest. He tightened his arms around her kissing the top of her head. They sat like that for a few moments.

Finally breaking the silence, Liv spoke, "Are my parents gone?"

"Yeah, they got Allie's things and took her with them."

"Okay." Liv hated to admit it but she missed her baby.

Fitz brushed her hair from her face, "Liv if I ask you something can you be totally honest with me?"

She was a little nervous by his question, "Yeah I can try."

He sat up pushing her off of him. They sat looking at each other face to face. He touched her hand. "What happened between you and Allie's father?"

She turned her head to the side. "I already told you, Fitz."

He put his hand on her face turning it back towards him. Looking into her bright brown eyes, "I want the whole story Liv. What happened between you and Allie's father?"

Liv tucked her knees into her chest, "Okay. You want the whole story. When I met Allie's father I was fresh out of college. I had moved back home to be closer to my parents. Jake was a good looking boy with a Ferrari and he was the son of Senator Matthew Ballard from Florida. He could have any girl he wanted but he chose me. I used to think I was the luckiest girl in the world. Things were good for the first few months. We would go out or hang out at his place or mines. My parents liked him and his parents like me. We were perfect and happy. Then the abuse started. At first it was just verbal, nothing major. He would call me fat, useless, worthless or a whore. He used to yell and scream at me. He told me what to wear and what to do. He constantly pointed out my faults and shortcomings. After a few months of that, the physical abuse started."

Fitz could see Liv tensing up. He took her hand into his trying to comfort her the best way he could.

She continued, "He got angry because I didn't want to go out with him one night and he slapped me. Of course he said it was my fault. He said if I just did what he told me then it wouldn't happen again. I believed him. I figured that if I didn't anger him then he wouldn't hit me. But the attacks became more frequent. He would hit me or kick me. If we were in public he would hold me close to him and pinch me to let me know that I was going to get it when we were alone."

Tears fell down her face, she coughed uncontrollably. Fitz handed her the green tea to soothe her throat. When she was able to speak, she continued, "No one knew about the abuse. We kept it hidden from my parents and his parents. My parents retired and moved out here to California leaving me the house. Jake moved right in. There were times that I was fearful of going home. I didn't know what mood he was in or what might set him off. Um-one night we went out for dinner and drinks. He went to the restroom while I walked to the bar for drinks. A guy sitting at the bar spoke to me. Nothing flirtatious or anything. He just asked if I liked the Merlot or Chardonnay better. I told him the Merlot and he said me too. I smiled and he smiled. Jake walked out and saw me smiling at the guy and became furious. He grabbed me from the bar, threw me in the car and took me home. He accused me of wanting to fuck the guy. He asked if I had been sleeping with someone else because lately he and I weren't having a lot of sex. I told him no and he punched me in the face and accused me of lying. When we got home, he beat me some more. Then he stripped me down and forced himself on me."

Fitz had tears in his eyes thinking about what she had suffered, "He-um-he r-raped you, Liv?"

Crying, "Y-yes. I tried to stop him. I fought as hard as I could. The reason we weren't having sex is because I was taking antibiotic for a bacterial infection I had and it rendered my birth control invalid."

Fitz could not believe what he was hearing, "So, let me get this straight. The night Allie was conceived, you were raped by your boyfriend?"

She shook her head, "Yes." She wiped her face trying to stop the tears from flowing, "That night I called Abby crying from the bathroom while he laid sleep in our bed. She convinced me to go to the hospital to do a rape kit. The police were called but I refused to file charges against him. I didn't want him thrown in jail. Abby called my parents and that's when they found out. They urged me to leave him but for some reason I couldn't. He was so apologetic and nice to me for weeks after that. We didn't have sex nor did he pressure me to. He knew he had messed up and was trying to make it right. It all came to a head a few weeks later when I found out that I was pregnant. He accused me of trying to trap him into marrying me. He wanted me to have an abortion. I refused because I don't believe in them. He went to the kitchen and grabbed a knife. He said that since I won't cut the baby out then he will. He attacked me and I ran and screamed like my life depended on it. He cut my hand and I have two cuts on my chest. My neighbors heard my screams and called the police. He was trying to stab me when my neighbor broke down the door. I was taken to the hospital and he was taken to jail. The sad part is his father offered me two million dollars if I agreed to drop the charges. It would look bad for him to have his son arrested on domestic violence charges. But I had to ask myself, how much was my self-respect worth? So I declined his offer. His son was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, attempted murder and rape. He accepted a plea deal and was served 5 to 7 years in prison. Part of his plea was he had to terminate his parental rights to Allie. After that I moved out here to be with Abby and my parents. Every month his dad sends me a check for $15,000 for child support and every month I send it back. I choose not to have anything to do with them anymore. So there you have it, the whole truth."

He looked at her hand that he was holding. He noticed the cut marks for the first time. It didn't take long for him to realize that the last time she had sex with a man, she was raped. He didn't want to ask any more questions or put any undue stress on her. He pulled her towards him and kissed her lips. She quickly pulled back.

"Fitz, you are going to get sick."

He put his forehead on hers, "I don't care. You are the most important thing in my life. You are so beautiful and I just need to feel your lips on my mine. I don't care if I get sick." He pulled back to look into her eyes. He wiped the tears that were on her cheeks, "You are an amazing woman. I don't know how you do it but you are making me fall madly in love with you. I promise with all my heart and soul that I will never deliberately hurt you or put my hands on you in a harmful way. With me, you are safe. Allie is safe. You will never have to live in fear again."

He kissed her lips again but this time she didn't pull back. It wasn't a deep kiss but it was a sensual kiss. When they pulled back, he laid back down and pulled her back to his chest. He put her arms around her tightly and whispered in her ear, "Go to sleep. I will be right here holding you in my arms when you wake up."

With that she drifted off into a peaceful sleep. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

By Friday of that week, Liv was all better. Fitz had nursed her back to health. Her cold was gone and Allie was home. She went to work ready to do the job that she was hired to do. This was her last day of work before she had next week off for Thanksgiving Break. Cyrus had told her that they were going to have a business lunch with Edison Davis today to close on the contract. She reluctantly agreed.

She and Fitz had agreed to keep their relationship a secret at work. They weren't sure how his father would feel about them being together. Fitz rode to lunch with his father while Liv drove her car. They had lunch at the Palms which Liv loved because of their open atmosphere. She had hoped they would pick a table outside on the patio but they chose to eat in a private room. When she walked into the room, everyone stood as she entered. It was a round table and the only spot left was between Fitz and Edison. Big Jerry sat on the Fitz's right side with Cyrus next to him and Edison next Cyrus. Edison pulled out her chair as she slightly glanced at Fitz. She gave a fake smile to Edison thanking him for pulling out her chair.

Edison spoke to her, "Olivia it's good to see you again. I hope I am not being to forward but I ordered a bottle of champagne for the table to celebrate us working together in the future."

Fitz was starting to boil inside when Liv spoke to Edison, "Thank you but I don't drink."

He chuckled, "Come on, it's just one drink. Your boss doesn't have a problem with it. One drink won't hurt you."

Cyrus was about to say something when Fitz spoke rather authoritative, "Look she said she doesn't drink so just leave it at that."

Edison backed off, "Okay, I apologize."

Fitz handed her a glass, "I ordered you lemonade while we were waiting."

"Thank you, Fitz. I appreciate it."

Cyrus looked at the exchange between the two of them. Something was different about them. He brushed it off as if he was just seeing things.

They ordered their food and continued to make small talk.

Big Jerry looked at Liv, "How are feeling, Olivia? Is your cold better?"

Before she could answer, Edison made a comment, "If I would have known you were sick, I would have come to take care of you."

Olivia smirked, "It's okay. My _boyfriend_ was there to nurse me back to health. He never left my side so I was well taken care of."

Fitz had a look of pride on his face when she said the word, boyfriend.

Edison chuckled, "Well I hope he won't mind the fact that you will have to accompany me to Atlanta at the beginning of the year."

Fitz inserted himself in the conversation, "Wait-why is she going with you to Atlanta?"

"The Coke people would like to meet their advertising team in person. Since Olivia is over this campaign, they want to meet with her. Plus it will give me an opportunity to show her around."

Edison sat there with a big grin on his face. Olivia could see that Fitz's nerves were in overload. She gently placed her hand over his knee under the table and responded to Edison's statement. "Mr. Davis, I have no problems meeting with the Coke people but I am only going for business. Whatever else you have planned, if it is not business then I will not entertain it."

"Well, Olivia there is one thing you don't know about me. I love a challenge."

Fitz stood up quickly, "Excuse me but I need some air." He walked out of the restaurant and didn't return for a full 20 minutes.

When he came back in his food was already waiting on him but he wasn't really hungry. He sat quietly during the rest of the lunch. When he got back to work, he went into his office and slammed the door. He started pacing back and forth until he heard a faint knock at his door. He knew exactly who it was.

He opened the door and saw her standing there. He motioned for her to come in.

"Talk to me, Fitz."

They stood in the middle of floor staring at each other. "What do you want me to say Liv? Huh? You want me to say that I really want to hurt that guy. You want me to say that there is no way in hell that you are going to Atlanta with him by yourself. You want me to say that it took everything in me not to tell that douchebag that you are my girl and he needs to watch what he says to you from now on. Because that is how I felt. I felt helpless and I hate that feeling. I felt like I couldn't protect you without raising suspicion. So there you go."

He stood there timid and fragile like he might break. She knew that right now her job was not to fix him. Her job was to remind him that she was still his.

She walked over to him and placed his arms around her waist. She put her hands on his cheek and placed her lips onto his. At first he was still tense but when her lips parted for his tongue, he felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulder. The kiss deepened and he started getting lost in the essence of her. They were so into the kiss that they didn't hear the knock at the door.

They pulled away as they heard the door open. They turned to see Cyrus enter the office. They knew he had seen them.

Fitz tried to play it off, "Cy, what can I do for you?"

He looked between the two of them, "I thought my suspicions today were just suspicions of an old man. But now it's nice to have confirmation that I am not crazy."

Liv went to speak, "Cy-"

"Are you two crazy? Big Jerry is going to hit the fan when he finds out."

Fitz walked towards him, "He doesn't have to find out. No one knows about us but you. I know you can keep a secret from him because you still haven't told him about Liv's baby."

Cyrus's face went stone, "A baby is easy to keep a secret about because she doesn't make googly eyes at people doing a business lunch. She doesn't get mad and storm out because someone is hitting on her girlfriend. You two are sloppy. He will find out but I won't be the one to tell him. I will let him make that discovery on his own." He walked back towards the door, "It would also help if you didn't look so prideful when Liv mentioned her boyfriend." With that he left the office.

X X

Fitz showed up at Liv's place around 7 pm with Chinese food and juice. He was looking handsome in his sweater and jeans. She loved his casual attire. He also brought over a pack of diapers for Allie.

"Fitz, I have a job. I can buy diapers."

He sat the stuff on the kitchen counter, "I know you can but you looked a little low the other day so I figured I would help you and my little Alleycat out."

"Alleycat?"

"Yeah, my little nickname that Allie and I came up with the other day. I said it; she liked it so we are sticking with it."

She leaned on the counter, "So what is my nickname?"

He walked over to her and put his arms around her waist from the back, "You are my Livvie."

She smiled, "I like that. No one has called me that but my grandfather."

"What do your parents call you?"

"They call me Olivia or Liv."

He sighed, "I think your mom hates me."

"Mom doesn't hate you. She is just overprotective of me, that's all. Besides what does your family call you?"

He started setting out the food, "My dad calls me Fitzgerald because it is a prestigious name but the rest of my family call me Trey."

"Why Trey?"

"Well Trey means three in Spanish and since I am the Fitzgerald Grant the Third, I am called Trey."

Liv chuckled, "That's cute. So what movie are we watching tonight?"

"I was thinking horror."

She shook her head, "No Fitz I won't sleep for weeks. How about Frozen?"

He frowned, "Damn woman, how old are you? Three?"

She laughed, "I am 27 actually but it is a good movie. Please baby can we watch it?" She put on her best pouty face and kissed his cheek.

He finally gave in, "Okay but only because you called me baby."

She laughed as they walked into the living room.

Allie was in her playpen and she giggled when Fitz picked her up. "She should be crawling soon."

Liv rolled her eyes, "Don't remind me. My baby is growing up so fast. She is already 6 months. Then she will be walking and after that comes the terrible twos. I don't think I am ready for that."

He leaned back on the couch and pulled her down to him, "Hopefully I will be around to help you with all of that." He looked at Allie in his arms, "What do you say, Alleycat? Would you like that?" He tickled her and giggled.

They enjoyed dinner but halfway through the movie Abby came home with her date. She walked in on Liv snuggled under Fitz's arm while he was holding a sleeping Allie.

She laughing so hard at something her date said when she turned on the light, "Hi guys, I thought you were gone bed." Her date walked up behind her, "Guys this is Leo. Leo, this is my roommate, Liv, her boyfriend Fitz and her daughter, Allie."

Fitz stood up and shook the man's hand. They exchanged pleasantries. He pulled Liv up from the couch. Liv shook his hand.

Abby gave her the eye that she wanted to be alone. Liv cleared her throat, "Fitz, sweetie, why don't we put Allie to bed and finish this movie in my room?"

Leo spoke, "What are you guys watching?"

Fitz frowned, "Frozen."

Abby looked at her, "Damn, Liv what are you? Three?"

Fitz burst out laughing but he stopped when she hit his arm. They gathered their things and walked upstairs. Liv changed Allie and put her to bed turning on her baby monitor and closing her door. She walked into her room to find that Fitz had taken off his sweater and shoes and was laying in the bed waiting on her. She walked into the bathroom and changed into her t-shirt and boy shorts. She resumed the movie and climbed into bed with her sexy boyfriend.

He pulled her between his legs and let her head rest on his shoulder exposing her next line. He slowly started stroking her skin with his finger. Then he took his tongue and started licking the area that was previous occupied by his finger.

Liv was finding it difficult to concentrate on the movie. "Fitz, I don't think you are watching the movie."

His voice dropped an octave, "I prefer to focus on the most beautiful woman in the world who happens to be my girlfriend."

His hands slowly started to roam over her body. He pulled her t-shirt off showing her white laced bra. He ran his fingers over stomach and to her breast. He cupped them gently while he continued to suck on her neck. He turned her head and pulled his lips to him. She slowly turned her body until she was straddling him in the bed. He was trying to devour her tongue. She felt wonderful in his arms. He roamed his hands up her back and unhooked her bra. It was then that he saw the scars left by the knife. It was then that he was reminded of the magnitude of this situation.

He pulled back and looked into her eyes, "If you want me to stop, I will. I don't want you to do anything that you don't want to. Just tell me what you want me to do and I will do it. I will do anything for you, Livvie."

She whispered, "Make me feel as beautiful as you say I am."

He took his mouth and started kissing the scars left by the knife. He took his time making sure that she knew that he would never hurt her. He rolled them over so that he could hover over her. He kissed his way from neck to her navel making sure to give special attention to each of her breast. He sensually pulled down her shorts along with her underwear. She lay there naked and full exposed. He stood and took off his t-shirt and pants making sure to leave on his boxers. He stood there a minute looking at this magnificent creature waiting for him.

"You look like heaven." He crawled back to her mouth and took it into his allowing their tongues to tangle. He licked from her jaw to her ear where he whispered, "Let me please you, Livvie. Can I please you baby?"

She faintly replied, "Yes."

That was all he needed. He licked a trail from neck to her core. He placed kissing on the inside of right and left thighs. He took his tongue and slowly licked her core sending chills up her spine. When she gripped his curls he buried his tongue her pussy making her squirm from pleasure. He draped her legs over his shoulder as his tongue went deeper and deeper.

She moaned and screamed from the amazing feelings that were shooting through her body.

"Oh, Fitz! Oh god!"

"You like that baby."

"Oh God yes. Don't… Don't stop."

"Never baby. All for you."

He took his hand and rubbed her clit while he fucked her with his tongue. Her body started shaking uncontrollably from her orgasm. He licked every ounce of her essence and continued his assault on her pussy. He slowly inserted one finger into her core.

"F-Fitz!" She gripped his hair tightly as she was overcome from the sensation.

"That's right baby. Say my name. Let me please you. Let me make you happy."

"Fuck! Shit!"

He added another finger in her core.

"You're so tight, Livvie."

"Ah-F-F-Fitz I am going to cum."

"Cum for me baby."

As soon as the words left his mouth, her muscles tighten from orgasm. He pulled his fingers out of her giving her one last lick before standing before her. She was breathing heavy and panting trying to catch her breath. He licked his fingers as he dropped his boxers to the floor.

"You taste so good."

Her eyes went to the size of his enormous cock. Suddenly her pussy was throbbing with anticipation. He crawled over her until he was lying between her legs. He kissed her allowing her to taste herself on his tongue. She loved the idea of him pleasing her. She loved that it was her juices on his tongue.

He slowly lined himself up and entered her core. At first he was slow trying not to cause her any pain and allowing her to adjust to his size. He raised her leg slightly to give him better penetration. Once he was completely in, he started to pick up a rhythm.

She was moaning in his ear and clawing at his back which was turning him on more and more. As he picked up the pace, her moans became louder and louder.

"Fuck, Liv. You are so fucking tight." He kissed the inside of her leg that was draped over his arm. Her pussy felt so good around his cock. She was definitely worth the wait.

He took his hand and started rubbing her clit while he was pounding her pussy. She turned her head and closed her eyes trying to keep from coming.

"Look at me, Livvie. I want to see you cum."

She opened her eyes and turned to look at him.

"That's it baby. Look at me." He leaned down to hover over her face. "You are so fucking beautiful and I want to look into those pretty eyes and watch you cum."

He resumed his previous position and his previous pace. As he felt her muscles slowly tightening, he knew she was close.

"Fuck, that's it baby. Cum for me."

"F-Fitz!"

A few seconds after she came, he released his seed in her collapsing on top of her afterwards. He slowly pulled out and rolled to his side. They both were breathing heavy. His breathing steadied before hers. He pulled her towards him and put her under the covers. Her head lay on his chest while he rubbed her back.

He kissed the top of her head, "Are you okay?"

Still panting, "Wow is all I can say."

He chuckled, "Just get some sleep. We will talk in the morning." She closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Liv finally woke up at 5 am. She felt for Fitz next to her but the only thing in his spot was a cold sheet. She looked around the room and didn't find him anywhere. She sat up in the bed stunned and devastated. He had told her that he would be there when she woke up but he lied. Was everything he ever told her was a lie? She felt like a complete fool. She felt used and hurt. A part of her wanted to cry.

Talking to herself, "Liv, you knew this could happen and you did it anyway. No one to blame but yourself. So suck it up and get on with your life."

She looked back at the clock and thought about Allie. Usually she would have woken up at least once by now. She got nervous and decided to get up to check on her.

She walked into Allie's room and suddenly she couldn't hold back her tears anymore. In the corner of the nursery sitting in the rocking chair was a sleeping Fitz holding a sleeping Allie to his chest. Liv stood in shock as the tears kept coming down her face. After wiping her face, she pulled Allie out of Fitz's arm waking him in the process.

"Wh-hey baby."

She put Allie back in her crib, "Hey."

He stood up as she turned around. He gave her a half smile as he stretched.

She folded her arms, "Why didn't you wake me up?"

He put his hand on her hips, "Because you look like you needed the rest. I went to the bathroom and heard her crying on the baby monitor so I changed her and fed her a bottle. It's no big deal. I just wanted you to sleep."

She responded in hostile voice, "I don't care. She is my responsibility and you should have let me take care of her."

He was taken aback by her tone. "Hey-hey, what's going on? Did I do something wrong? If I did, I am sorry. I really just wanted you to get as much rest as possible baby. That is all." He pulled her into his chest, "I know that Allie is your responsibility but I like helping you with her. I like spending time with her. As long as I am around you don't have to do it by yourself. So please don't be mad at me because if I had to do it again then I would do it in a heartbeat."

She laid her head on his chest and he rubbed her back. He kissed the top of her head and took her hand, "Come on, Liv. Let's go back to bed."

They got back in bed. Liv lay on her back staring at the ceiling. Fitz turned his body towards her putting his arm around her waist. After a few minutes in silence he propped his head up on his elbows so he could look down at her face.

"What's wrong, Liv? Why do you look like you have been crying? And why are you angry with me because I know it's not about me feeding Allie? Please tell me what's wrong."

She turned and looked into his bluish grey eyes and saw a look of concern. "I…I am sorry for snapping at you earlier. You didn't do anything wrong. It's me. It's my issues and insecurity." She cleared her throat, "You weren't in the bed with me when I woke up and I thought-"

"You thought that I had left you." Fitz knew exactly what she was going to say.

She shook her head, "At first I felt like such a loser for believing that you would keep your word to me. Then when I saw you in Allie's room, I don't know, I just started crying. Then I became angry at myself for not trusting you and I blamed you for not waking me up when you left the room."

He stroked her cheek, "It's okay. I know you don't trust me and I am going to work hard to earn your trust. I am not going to lie. A part of me laid here in the bed ready to bolt but then I looked at your beautiful sleeping face and realized that this is where I wanted to be. I want to be right here in this moment with you." He kisses her softly on her lips.

"Thank you for being patient with me."

"I will do whatever it takes to prove to you that I am here for you. Let me make you happy, Livvie. Start talking to me and stop keeping stuff bottled up inside. I am not going anywhere. Okay."

"Okay." She turned her head to look at the clock, "Ugh, 5:30 and I am already emotional." She chuckled, "I don't know how I am going to get through lunch with my parents today."

He brushed a strain of hair from her face, "Are you not looking forward to see them?"

"Of course not. My mother is the one that insisted on this stupid lunch and I know she just wants to ask questions about you and our relationship." She sighed and looked at him, "I kind of wish you were going with me."

He took her hand and kissed it, "Well baby, all you have to do is asked."

She smiled a big smile, "Really? You would do that for me."

"I will do anything for you."

She squealed and kissed him, "Oh thank you baby."

"Whatever makes you happy." He paused and thought for a moment, "Will you and Allie accompany me to my sister's house for Thanksgiving?"

"We would love to but you have to go with us to my parents' house also."

"Deal."

She palmed his face and pulled it in for a kiss. She ran her fingers through his curls and pulled him into her mouth sucking on his tongue and lips. She loved kissing him. Her mind raced back to feelings of last night. How he made her feel special and beautiful. She desperately wanted to feel him inside of her.

"Make love to me baby. I need to feel you inside of me."

He looked into her eyes, "Whatever makes you happy."

After that he discarded their clothes and entered her core. He made sweet passionate love to her like before. They climaxed together and fell asleep in each other's arms.

XX

Liv left a sleeping Fitz in bed around 10 when she heard Allie crying on the monitor. They went downstairs to get her some baby food. She found Abby eating cereal at the kitchen table when she entered the kitchen.

"Good Morning, Liv." Abby had a big Kool-Aid grin on her face.

Liv looked at her strangely, "Good Morning Abby. I take it that you had a good night with Leo."

Abby walked towards her, "I did but not as good of a night as you had with Fitz."

Liv chuckled, "I don't know what you are talking about."

"I am talking you screaming his name last night."

Liv looked stonefaced, "You heard me?"

Abby cackled, "I am sure the whole neighborhood heard you. He must have been putting in work cause I heard the bed squeaking also. My god Liv, I made Leo leave because I didn't want him to feel like he had to compete with Fitz."

They both started laughing, "Abby stop."

"No you need to spill some dirt. I want to know size and girth. How big is he?"

Liv sat down at the table to feed Allie, "Abby I am not about to talk to you about the size of my boyfriend's dick especially when he is upstairs still sleeping."

Abby squealed, "Oh my god, you guys fucked this morning too."

"What?"

"Come on Liv, it is 10 am. He should be up by now unless you earned some extra credit this morning."

"Abby-"

"Come on Liv just tell me something."

Liv thought for a moment, "Ok but this is between you and me." Abby shook her head, "Let's just say that Fitz is truly gifted in more ways than one."

Abby eyes were big as a fifty cent piece. She was about to scream when Liv put her hand over her mouth. After a few seconds Abby finally calmed down. She looked at Liv who seemed relaxed and happy, "I am happy for you Liv. If anybody deserves to find a good guy it's you."

"Thank you Abby." While feeding Allison, "What's up with your love life?"

"Well I ran into David and his girlfriend while I was out with Leo. Now David won't stop calling and texting my phone. He says that he wants to talk about us."

"Abby please don't fall for it. Leo seems like a good guy. Try to see where it could leave. You need to forget about David."

"I will Liv. Finish feeding Allie so you can get back to Mr. Gifted."

They both laughed as Abby left the kitchen.

X X

Fitz and Liv walked up to the restaurant with Fitz holding Allie on his hip while Liv held the diaper bag. Her parents were waiting at the entrance of the restaurant when they walked up. Liv noticed that her mother's expression changed when she saw Fitz and she knew that this was going to be an awkward lunch.

She gave her parents a hug and stood back next to Fitz, "Mom, Dad, I am sure you remember Fitz."

Maya gave a fake smile, "Of course we do."

Eli took Allie from Fitz's arm and started playing with her. "How is Paw-Paw's baby?"

Fitz spoke, "It's nice to see you again, Mr. and Mrs. Pope."

Eli didn't hear him but Maya just nodded. They walked into the restaurant and were quickly seated at a table by the window. Fitz sat next to Liv but across from Eli who was sitting next to Maya. Allie was in a high chair on the end by Maya and Liv.

Maya couldn't help but notice that Liv and Fitz were all touchy feely with each other. Fitz had his arm around her leaning on her shoulder while looking at her menu instead of his. They were trying to decide what to order. They kept giggling and pointing to various things. They thought they were whispering but Maya heard every word of their cute conversation.

Fitz started stroking Liv's hair, "Did I tell you that you look beautiful today and that I love your hair like this?"

Liv smiled at Fitz, "Yes you did but I thank you anyway." She gave him a quick kiss and then looked back at the menu, "Baby, what are you going to get?"

He took her hand and pointed, "The bacon cheeseburger."

She looked at him, "That's not healthy. You said you were going to order something healthy."

"But baby it has lettuce and tomatoes on it."

Liv laughed louder than she intended and caught her mother's eye. She looked back at Fitz, "Ok, I guess that will work. Can I have some of your fries?"

He gave her a kiss on the lips, "You can have anything you want."

She giggled again.

The waiter took their orders and brought their drinks. The tension at the table could have been cut with a knife. Maya kept looking at the way they were behaving then she looked at Eli. He knew it was time to talk.

"So Liv, how are things going with you?"

"Good, dad. Things are good." She looked at Fitz and smiled, "Actually things are great."

"That's good. How are things at work?"

"A-mazing. I just closed this huge Coca-Cola account that was big for the agency."

Her father was impressed. "Wow. That sounds exciting."

She gave a half frown, "Yeah but the guy that is helping me with the account keeps flirting and hitting on me. It's getting really annoying."

Maya looked at Fitz, "So how are you dealing with that, Fitz?"

He looked from Liv to Maya, "Well I am not happy about it but I trust Liv and I just have to let her handle it."

"So it doesn't make you the least bit angry that another man is hitting on your girlfriend."

He sighed, "I won't lie. It makes me angry at the guy especially after she has told him that she has a boyfriend but it doesn't make me angry at Livvie." He paused, "Mrs. Pope, I know about Liv's history and I respect you as her mother. I know you don't trust me or know me but I have never in my life put my hands on a woman and I would never purposely hurt Liv."

Liv looked at him and smiled. She looked back at her mother but her expression had not changed. Liv knew that she needed to speak with her parents alone so she had to come up with an excuse to get Fitz to leave the table.

"Babe, have you seen Allie's pacifier? I might have left it in the car."

"Ok, baby, I'll go check for you." He got up and kissed the top of her head.

"Thank you sweetie." When he was out of earshot, she looked back at her mother, "Will you please stop looking at him like that?"

"I am looking at you, Liv and how you are sitting here acting like some love-struck teenager. You are a grown woman with a child. You can't just fall for some man because he is charming and has a good head of hair. Do you not remember what happened the last time you did that?"

Liv was getting frustrated, "Of course I remember, Mom. Allie is a daily reminder of what happened and so are the scars. If that isn't enough I have you constantly reminding me so yes mom I remember."

Eli interrupted, "What I think your mother is trying to say is that you need to be careful and not rush into anything until you know what he is all about? We just worry about you, that's all."

"Guys, I have been to therapy and I feel like I have healed. I ready to move on from it. Why can't you?"

Her mother looked at her, "Liv, we know you worked hard to heal but we are just trying to keep you from making the same mistake twice. Just try to slow down. I would ask you if you two are sleeping together but the hickeys on your neck have already answered that. We don't want you to get hurt."

"I can take care of myself. So will you two just please drop it?"

Fitz walked back to the table, "Babe, I didn't see it in the car. Maybe you should check her bag."

Liv looked in the bag, "Oh there it is. Sorry I made you walk to the car for nothing."

He kissed her hand, "It's fine."

They spent the rest of lunch making small talk. They asked Fitz about his family and his past. He made sure to omit his man-whore days. They informed her parents of their Thanksgiving plans to spend the morning with Fitz's sister and the afternoon with them. Her parents didn't like the idea but they weren't going to push their daughter for fear that she may shut them out if she is ever in trouble again.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Liv, Fitz and Allie rang the doorbell to his sister's house on Thanksgiving. Liv was a little nervous but Fitz had reassured her that his sister was loving and harmless.

The door swung open to reveal a little boy and girl standing at the door, they both shouted, "Uncle Trey!"

"Jamie and Jeffrey, how are my niece and nephew doing today?" They hugged his leg and he bent down to hug as best as he could while still holding Allie on his hip.

Jamie pointed at Allie and said, "Who baby Uncle Trey?"

"This is my baby." Liv was shocked by his words. She thought he was joking at first. He bent down to the kids' level, "Guys, I want you to meet your cousin, Allison."

They shook her hand, "Hey Allison. Uncle Trey, she is so cute. Can I hold her?"

"Not right now." He stood up by Liv, "Guys this is my girlfriend, Olivia. She is Allison's mom. Liv, these are my twin niece and nephew." He pointed to the girl, "This Jamie." He pointed towards the boy, "This is Jeffrey."

Liv shook their hands, "Please to meet you both."

Jeffrey said, "We are five. How hold is the baby?"

Liv smiled, "She is just six month old."

"So she has a long way to go before she is five."

Liv shook her head. Fitz took her hand, "Let's go find my sister."

He walked into the foyer and yelled, "Hey, Em. Where are you?"

A voice called from the kitchen, "Trey, is that you?" A short brunette wearing an apron came out the kitchen towards her brother. "Oh my god, Trey." She hugged her brother like she hadn't seen him in years.

"Em-Emily. You are choking me." He chuckled as she pulled away loosing up her grip.

Wiping a tear from her eyes, "Sorry. I just missed my baby brother." She looked at him and finally noticed Allie in his arms, "Who is this pretty girl?"

"This is my daughter Allison."

She looked at him strangely, "Daughter?"

He looked at her, "Yes, my daughter." He looked towards Liv, "This is my girlfriend and mother of my child, Olivia."

She shakes Liv's hand, "Hello, Olivia. I am Trey's sister, Emily. Welcome to our home."

Liv smiled, "Thank you so much."

Emily looked back at Allison, "So can I hold my niece?" She took the baby out of Fitz's arm and they walked into the living room where Emily's husband is starting the fire place.

"James, look who is here."

He walks over to where they are, "Trey, my man."

"James, long time no see." They shake hands.

Emily looks at Liv, "This is my husband, James Jeffery Smith. Honey, this is Trey's girlfriend, Olivia and this is their daughter, Allison."

James looked at his wife for a second before turning to Olivia. "Please to meet you, Olivia."

Liv smiled politely, "Thank you. Fitz has told me so much about you guys already. I feel like I already know you."

Emily looked at Fitz, "Trey, I could use your help in the kitchen for a few minutes." She turned to her husband, "Here James, hold you niece while I check on the food."

Fitz winked at Olivia and followed his sister into the kitchen.

They entered the kitchen and Fitz sat on the counter on the kitchen island. His sister walked over to him, "Trey what the hell is going on with you?"

"What do you mean, Em?"

"I mean, I just talked to you last week and not once did you mention anything about a baby or a girlfriend." She stopped and thought for minute, "Wait a minute, that's the baby that was crying on the phone."

He shook his head, "Yeah that was my Alleycat."

"Fitz, I don't even know what to say to you anymore. You have this family and you told no one."

"It's not like that Sis. She is my girlfriend and she had Allie when I met her. I have been there for her helping her take care of the baby since we have been together. She may not be biologically mine but she is my daughter. I am crazy about Liv, okay. I think I love her."

His sister stared him down, "You _think._ What the hell does that mean?"

He sighed, "It means I have never been in love before so I don't know. It means that she is my first thought in the morning and my last thought at night. I can't go through a day without seeing her smile or hearing her voice. I get weak when I am not around her. I can't breathe when I am not around her. I feel like she was made for me. If this isn't love that I feel for her then I don't know what it is."

She looked at her baby brother and saw the sincerity in his eyes, "Wow, that is love." She turned and started grabbing the food, "So I guess we should feed everyone before the food gets cold."

He helped her set the food on the table. They all sat down to dinner and enjoyed each other's company. Emily was surprised to learn that Liv actually worked for her father but Fitz gave her a look that said leave it alone. Allison sat in the high chair between Liv and Fitz. They mashed up some food and tried to feed it her. It was messy and cute all at the same time.

Emily looked on Liv's plate and noticed that she didn't have any turkey on it. She cut her a piece, "Olivia, you have got to try some of this turkey. It is the only thing that my husband cooks so it's considered his specialty."

Liv was going to protest but she didn't want to offend anyone. She always preferred ham over turkey but she decided to give it a try. She bit a tiny piece and was quite surprised that she liked it. She bit it a few more times.

She looked at James, "Wow, this is really good. It's actually seasoned quite nicely. I-uh" She stopped midsentence when she started getting a tingle feeling on her tongue and throat.

Fitz looked at her, "Livvie, what's wrong?"

"I-my throat… can't breathe."

Fitz jumped up, "Where is her purse?" Everyone pointed towards the living room. He ran and grabbed her purse.

Emily looked confused about what was going on, "Trey what is happening? What's wrong with her?"

"Allergic reaction. What did you put in the turkey, James?"

James started stuttering, "I-I-I used creole butter injection and fried it in peanut oil."

Fitz grabbed her Epi-pen out of her purse, "Shit! She is allergic to peanuts."

He got it in his hands and removed it from the tube. He looked at Liv who was struggling to breathe, "Fitz-jam it-in my-thigh."

He pulled up her black skirt to where he could see her thigh. He mustered up all the nerves he could and jammed it into her thigh. He held it there for a few seconds to make sure the medicine went through. Finally he removed it when he saw her slowly catching her breath.

She started coughing. Fitz picked her up and carried her to the couch. He put her in his lap and held her close to his chest until her breathing was under control. Emily brought her a glass of water.

She took a few swallows and felt embarrassed when she saw everyone gathered around her staring.

She tried to sound like she was joking, "Sorry for disrupting dinner like that."

Fitz took her face in his hand to face him, "Stop. Don't do that. You could have died so don't make jokes." He kissed her forehead as she leaned back into his chest.

Emily looked at the two of them and then back to her family, "Ok, let's leave Uncle Trey and Olivia alone for a few moments. Then after we eat, we can take Allie outside."

The kids yelled, "Yay!" They walked back into the dining room and finished dinner while Fitz held Olivia in his arms afraid to let her go.

He kissed her on the lips as a tear started falling from his eye, "Oh baby, I love you so much. I love you, I love you." He kissed her all over her face and just couldn't stop telling her that he loved her.

"Fitz, baby I am fine. Really, I am. I am not going anywhere, okay. It was a simple accident and I should have asked before I put that turkey in my mouth but I didn't want to hurt their feelings. I really wanted your sister to like me."

Kissing her forehead, "Trust me she likes you because I love you." He gave her a quick kiss on the lips, "Please don't scare me like that again."

She put her forehead on his, "I will try not to." They sat silently for a minute, "Fitz go back and finish eating. I am ok."

He held her tighter, "I am not leaving you."

She looked into his eyes and saw fear in them, "Baby, I am fine. Go eat and make sure that Allie is okay. She can't have any turkey either."

He thought for a moment and knew she was right. He doesn't need both of them sick. He slid out from under her so she can lie down on the couch. "I will be right back."

"I will be right here."

He goes back into the dining room to eat and finish feeding Allie. The atmosphere softened as the lunch went on. Everyone laughed while the twins argued. Fitz periodically checked on Liv while she was sleeping on the couch. After being there about two hours, Fitz packed them up and they headed to Liv's parents' house.

Liv slept the whole way there so Fitz used her phone to call her father for their address. When he pulled up in the modest neighborhood, Liv's father met him outside.

Fitz got out the car, "How are you doing again, Mr. Pope?"

He shook Fitz's hand, "I am fine, Fitz. How is she doing?"

"She is still asleep."

He sighed, "Yeah that medication tends to knock her out. Let's see if we can wake her up to get inside." Eli opens the car door and shakes Liv, "Liv, hey wake up. You are home."

Still pretty drowsy, "Dad?"

He smiles, "Yeah sweetie, it's daddy."

She tries to get out the car but falls into his arms standing up. Fitz scoops her into his arms, "I got you, Livvie."

Eli got Allison out of the car while Fitz carried Liv into the house. Maya came out the kitchen when they entered the house.

"What's wrong with her, Fitz?"

He laid her on the couch, "She ate some turkey cooked in peanut oil at my sister's house. I have to give her the shot."

Maya sat down on the couch touching Liv's face trying to talk to her. "Liv, are you alright? Do you need anything?"

"I am fine Mom. Fitz took good care of me."

Maya looked at Fitz, "How could you let this happen? I trusted my daughter with you and this is how you bring her home on Thanksgiving."

"Mom will you stop it. It's not his fault." She tried to sit up, "Fitz baby, take me home. I can't deal with my parents right now."

Her mother looked at her, "Liv, you need to lie back down. There is no way you can go home like this. You can't even stand."

"Mom, I am fine. I just need to sleep. You guys are keeping Allie this weekend anyway so I will just go home and sleep this off. I will be fine by tomorrow. I will see you guys at church Sunday to get my baby."

Maya was getting ready to protest, when Fitz touched her shoulder, "I promise to take good care of her. She will not be alone for a second in her condition but she should not be around a house full of people like this."

Eli walked up, "Maya, he is right. You have guests coming in one hour. They should not see our daughter like this." He turned to Fitz, "I trust you to take good care of her. Call us if you need anything."

"Yes, sir." He picked Liv back up and put her in the truck making sure her seatbelt was on. He double checked the car to make sure that all of Allie's things were out and they drove off.

Fitz pulled up to his Malibu mansion and carried Liv upstairs to his bedroom. He stripped her out her clothes. He put her in his USC t-shirt and put her under the covers. He stripped down to his boxers and climbed into bed with her. He pulled her into him waking her up in the process.

Still kind of out of it, she started looking around "Baby, where am I?"

He kissed her forehead and placed her on his chest, "You are home." She went to back to sleep and slept the night away. Fitz watched football as he lay there all night with her lying on his chest. He never left her alone. He turned off the TV around ten and finally went to sleep with her in his arms.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Liv awoke that Friday morning after Thanksgiving to a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist. She felt kind of groggy but she was okay for the most part. She moved his arms to get out of bed only to have him pull her closer to him. She tried to move once more this time waking him up in the process.

"Where are you going, Livvie?"

She moved out of his arms, "I need to go to the bathroom, Fitz. I will be right back." After she came back from the bathroom, she got back into bed and he immediately threw his arms back around her.

"How are you feeling?"

She stroked his face, "I am much better. Thank you so much."

He kissed her, "It's my job to take care of you."

"I know but you didn't have to.

"I love you, Livvie and yesterday scared the shit out of me."

"I know baby. I am sorry for scaring you like that."

They lay face to face staring into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Her cellphone ringing interrupted their moment. She answered without looking at the caller id.

"Hello"

The voice on the other end spoke.

"Yeah, mom. I am better now."

She talked to her mother for a few minutes. She asked if Allie was okay and what she was up to. She knew that Allie enjoyed her grandparents and she enjoyed them to. After speaking to her father briefly, she got off the phone and turned back to Fitz.

He looked her, "So what do you want to do today?"

"I don't know. I am not used to having a free day with you where I am not sick." She laughed. Then she thought, "Can we go to the movies?"

"We can go wherever you want to go as long as I am with you."

She felt all mushy and tingly inside, "I need to go home and get some clothes first. I can't go out in my underwear and your t-shirt."

He sat up and pushed his back up to the headboard. He pulled her so that she was facing him straddling his body. He looked at her with a serious look in his eyes, "Why don't you just bring all of your stuff here?"

She was confused, "What do you mean 'bring all my stuff here'?"

He started laughing, "God, woman, I love you but you can't be that dense." She playfully punched him in the chest, "Ow. Okay, baby what I am trying to say is I want you and Allie to move in here with me."

She looked him in his eyes, "Fitz are you serious?"

"Yes, I love you and I want to wake up every morning with you and Allie here at home with me. You and Allie are my family and I need you here so that I know that you are okay. Every moment that I am away from you, I will worry until you are back in my arms. Allie is my daughter and I want to be there for her every second that I can. I want to see her crawl and walk. I want to hear her to call me daddy because that's what I am going to be to her. This is your home, Livvie. This is our home. We are a family. So say that you will move in with me."

"Fitz-uh-what about Abby?"

He put his hand on the side of her face, "Livvie, Abby is a grown ass woman. She can take care of herself. This is about us. This is about you, me and Allie."

"Fitz, this is a big step especially considering that no one in the office knows about us but Cyrus. What's going to happen when I change my address with the Human Resource Department? You don't think someone is going to put two and two together. I don't know if I can do this."

He pulled her into him for a kiss. It felt like years had passed since they kissed like that. Their tongues wrestled as they tasted each other. Fitz slowly took off her shirt as he started kissing various parts of her body.

"Please Livvie. I can't live without you."

"Fitz-oh god!" Her eyes rolled back in her as he gripped her ass while sucking on her breast.

"Please baby, say yes. I need you."

He moved his hand to front of her clit and started rubbing it.

Liv was moaning and gripping his hair. "Baby."

"Say yes, baby."

Rubbing on his hard cock, she whispered in his ear, "Yes baby. Yes."

That brought a smile to his face as he slid her underwear to the side and inserted two fingers in her core. He loved to look in her eyes and see the pleasure that he brings to her face. "I need you baby." He started sucking on her neck, "Tell me that you need me baby."

Losing control, "Oh, Fitz. I need you so much."

He ripped her underwear and pulled his hard cock out. She slid down it while he sucked on her tongue. She slowly started riding him while he gripped her hips. It was her turn to make him moan. He threw his head back as she gripped his shoulder.

"Oh shit, Liv."

She picked up the pace. His hands went back to her ass. "God, I love your ass. Oh you just turn me on. I love you baby."

Knowing she had this handsome sexy man in her arms was enough to give her orgasm. After he felt her walls tighten, he lifted her off of him.

"Turn around. I want to see that ass."

She laid on her stomach and he pulled her up on her knees. He entered her from behind while palming her ass. It was something about the view from behind or just the site of him fucking her but he loved that position. He had her moaning and gripping the sheets. He pulled her hair as he went deeper and deeper. Soon he was spilling his seed all in her.

He pulled out and lay beside her while she continued to lie on her stomach.

"Woman, you are going to be the death of me."

They chuckled. She turned to him and says, "You do realize that you ripped the only pair of panties that I have here."

"Sorry but I didn't care. I will buy you as many pair as you want. I was just happy that you are moving in."

She kissed him on the lips, "Well you don't exactly play fair. Now get me some clothes so I can shower."

They showered together which took longer because they ended up fucking in the shower. He gave her a pair of short and a t-shirt to wear home. He took her to her house to change and they were surprised to see David sitting on the couch in his boxers watching TV. Fitz knew that Liv needed to talk to Abby so he went up to Allie's room and started packing a few of her things. They agreed that they would get most of the stuff today and get the rest tomorrow. Liv knocked on Abby's door.

"Come in." She was still in the bed when Liv opened the door. "Hey Liv, I didn't know you were home."

Liv sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her friend, "Abby, what the hell is going on? Why is David here?"

"Liv, he came by to apologize and said that he was leaving his girlfriend for me."

"Oh Abby and you fell for that. They never leave their girlfriends or their wives. Abby you are just the sidepiece to him. Seeing you with Leo made him realize that you might not always be there when he wants you. He is playing you Abby."

"You don't know that Liv."

She took Abby's hand, "I do Abby. I wish you would see your worth. You are priceless."

"Liv don't start with the psychoanalysis with me. I know what I am doing. So if that is all you came to talk to me about then you may leave."

She got up to walk out but turned around, "I am moving out Abby."

Her friend looked shock, "Where are you going to go?"

"Fitz wants Allie and me to live with him. I know that this is short notice but I will continue to help pay the mortgage until you get a new roommate."

Her friend felt a little sad, "When are you leaving?"

"I am getting majority of my stuff today and the rest tomorrow. I will leave my bed and the furniture."

"Okay if that is what you want. I am happy for you, Liv." She got out the bed to hug her friend, "Don't forget to call me so we can still hang out and do things."

"Will do Abby. I love you Chick."

"Love you too, Liv."

Liv went upstairs with Fitz and helped pack the Escalade with most of Allie's things. Liv changed her clothes and packed a few of her things. They drove back to Fitz's house and unpacked the truck turning the room next to his into Allie's nursery. Liv put her things on the floor of the closet because they would have to do some rearranging to get her clothes in the closet and dresser.

Once everything was out of the car, they decided to go to the movies. Fitz suggested that they take the Ferrari since it was just the two of them plus he hasn't driven it since Harrison brought it home. Liv was a little reluctant at first but she went on with it. She knew that it would attract the attention of women but she knew that she had to get used to it again.

As predicted, when they pulled up to the movie theater, a group of girls were walking by the car when Fitz got out. One of them smiled at him, "Nice car, Handsome."

He gave a fake smile back, "Thank you."

Liv was standing behind him and didn't see his facial expression. All she heard was his answer. He turned around to see an angry look on her face.

Confused, "What?"

She said with an attitude, "Do you not see me standing here, Fitz?"

Still confused, "What did I do?"

"You were flirting while I was standing here."

He raised his voice, "No I was not. I gave her a fake ass smile and said thank you. I was not flirting with her."

"Fitz I know what I saw."

"Then you need to get your damn eyes check cause I was not flirting Liv." She turned to get back in the car but he stopped her and grabbed her from behind. He put his head on her shoulder, "I'm sorry for raising my voice at you. I shouldn't have done that. I don't want to fight with you, okay. Let's just go watch the movie and spend some time together, huh, just the two of us. Can we do that please?"

She turned to look at him, "Okay, fine."

He kissed her lips, "I won't even look at another girl if you don't want me to. I will just stare at you or close my eyes when you are not around."

She chuckled, "Stop being silly, Fitz."

"I will do anything to make you happy, Liv. All you have to do is say the word and your wish is my command."

Still laughing, "Let's go see the movie before I change my mind."

He picked her up in his arms and spun her around. She squealed from the excitement. He held her hand keeping her close to him at all times. He made sure that he was extra affectionate with her and giving her lots of attention. She stuffed herself full of popcorn as they enjoyed the movie. Afterwards they went to the Grove to go shopping. Liv could not believe the amount of things they bought for Allie. Most of it had to be delivered because it would not fit in the car. Fitz was the main one picking out things because nothing was too good for his daughter. He reminded Liv that Christmas was around the corner so it was okay to overspend on her. To Fitz when it came to Allie money was no object. There were a few things that he wanted to buy her but Liv had to remind him that she was still just a baby.

While they were walking around the toy store, Fitz got a call on his phone. He looked at the id and it read STEPHEN.

Fitz answered, "What up boy?"

Stephen was happy his friend answered, "Hey Fitz, there is a happening party in the VIP of club 112 tonight. You have to come out with us man."

"Naw man, I don't think I can do it tonight."

Liv overheard him and asked, "Do what?"

"Hold on Stephen," He looked at Liv, "Stephen wants me to go out tonight. He says there is a happening party at club 112."

"You should go, Fitz. It's okay to hang out with your friends."

"But what if I want to hang out with you tonight?" Then he thought for a minute, "Why don't you come out with me?"

She shook her head no. "Fitz, I haven't been to a club in over a year."

He started whining, "Come on it will be fun plus you get to meet my friends."

She thought for a minute, "Okay, fine. I will invite Abby to go with us as well."

He put the phone back to his ear, "Hey Stephen, put me on the list with plus two."

"You got it, Fitz."

"See you tonight."

He hung up and decided they needed to go shopping for something cute for Liv to wear tonight. They decided on a cute red dress with knee high boots. He wanted her to wear her hair natural and curly. She called Abby and she was down for partying as well. They went back to the house and changed. They met Abby at the entrance of the club as Fitz parked the Ferrari. They went into the VIP area and his friends already had a table reserved waiting for him. He held Liv's hand as they walked over to meet them.

When they saw him, they all yelled, "FITZ!"

They high-fived and bro-hugged each other like they hadn't seen each other in years. They looked from him to Liv and Abby. Fitz stepped back and grabbed Liv's hand, "Guys this is my girlfriend Olivia and her friend, Abby. Liv and Abby, these are my boys. That's Stephen, Harrison and Huck." He pointed to each of them. They all shook Liv's and Abby's hand. They sat down at the table but Fitz pulled Liv to sit in his lap. They had expensive wine, shots of liquor and imported beer on the table to drink. Abby didn't waste any time getting liquored up. She was shot for shot with the guys. Fitz had a beer to drink but he nursed it most of the night because he didn't want to get too drunk.

Liv got up from the table to go to the bar to get her soda to drink. Some guy asked Abby to dance and she high tailed it to the dance floor leaving the boys at the table alone.

Stephen looked at Fitz, "So what's up man? She got you on a tight leash."

Fitz knew it was coming, "It's not like that. I asked her to come and she invited her friend. It's just a party plus I wanted you guys to meet her."

Harrison looked at him, "Yeah man but you don't bring sand to the beach."

"I don't care about the beach. I care about her." He paused because he knew that he was coming with a shocker, "I told her that I loved her and asked her to move in with me."

Stephen screamed out, "WHAT THE FUCK!" They all looked at each other. "Fitz are you crazy?"

"No man. I love her and Allison. I want to be with her and she wants to be with me."

"Fitz, you are making a big mistake-"

Before he could finish, Huck cut him off, "Does she make you happy?"

They all looked at him and Fitz answered point blank, "She makes me very happy."

Huck raised his glass to him, "Then that is all that matters. Good luck." They all toasted together.

Liv walked back to the table with her soda taking her place back in Fitz's lap. Stephen nonchalantly rolled his eyes as they started kissing each other. They got up to join Abby on the dance floor. All the guys but Stephen eventually joined them. They partied and drank a while. Every time Fitz would go to the bar to get Liv a new drink a girl would hit on him but he would always brush them off and point to his girlfriend that was waiting on him.

Stephen got up and hit a girl that he liked. After a few minutes of talking to her, he pulled Fitz off the dance floor to speak with him privately.

Fitz looked at his friend, "What's up man?"

Stephen spoke in a hush tone, "Fitz, dude, please tell me you are in the Ferrari."

Fitz nodded his head, "Yeah, we drove it here."

Stephen rubbed his hands together, "Good, I need to borrow the keys. I got this chick on the hook but I told her that my friend had a Ferrari and now she wants to see it."

Fitz handed him the keys and went back to dancing with Liv. He loved it when a slow song came on because he got to hold her close as possible. He was so into Liv that he didn't even notice that Stephen had been gone for over 30 minutes until he came back with his keys.

"Thanks bruh. She was a freak."

Fitz chuckled, "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean she let me fuck her in the Ferrari."

Fitz's eyes got wide, "You fucked her in my car?"

Stephen was confused by his friend's expression, "Yeah, bruh, what's the problem? We've done it before."

"Yeah dude but not with my girlfriend here. We have to ride home in that car and I don't need it to smell like dick and pussy." Fitz walked past him towards Huck. "Can you go and hang out with Liv? I need to go clean and air out my car."

"You got it bruh." Huck whispered to Harrison what Fitz asked him to do so he and Harrison hung around Liv and Abby on the dance floor. Liv did notice that Fitz was gone a long time. She asked Huck and Harrison if they had seen him but they said they didn't know where he went.

Fitz came back after while still furious at Stephen. He wanted to punch him in his face but he had been away from Liv too long. He grabbed another soda for her and went back to the dance floor. She was slightly angry that he just disappeared on her without saying a word.

After staying in the club another hour, they made sure Abby got her drunk ass in a cab and they walked hand in hand to the car. He opened her door and placed her in the car then he got in on the driver side.

He kissed her cheek, "Did you have a good time tonight?"

"I did but my hands are a little sweaty right now."

He turned on the car, "There should be some napkins and wet wipes in the glove compartment if you want to clean your hands."

She opened the glove compartment and found what she was looking for. She stopped when she noticed something else interesting in there as well.

"Fitz? Where did you go when you disappeared for over 20 minutes?"

"I came out to the car. Why?" He was nervous about her line of questioning.

"Because I see two condoms in your glove compartment when there were three before we got to the club."

He looked at the condoms in her hand. His grips the steering wheel tighter, "Fuck! I am going to kill Stephen."

She looked at him confused by his words, "What does Stephen have to do with you disappearing and condoms missing?"

He sighed, "Baby, it's not what you think. Stephen met this chick and he wanted to show her my car. I didn't know he was going to fuck her in it. I knew you would get mad when you found out so I came out here and wiped down your seat and aired the car out."

She sat in silence.

"Baby, you have to believe me. I would never cheat on you. I mean seriously, why would I invite you to a club and then cheat on you while you there. I could have left you at home if I wanted to do that." As soon as the words left his mouth he regretted.

"Nice to know how you really feel."

"Baby…Uh, Livvie, that's not what I meant. Fuck Stephen!" He tried to calm down, "I love you baby. I just asked you to move in with me. I am not stupid enough to try and mess up what we got. I am happy. I have everything I need at home. Trust me baby, none of those girls in that club can hold a candle to you."

She spoke in a somber tone, "If that's all it was, if it was that innocent, why did you have to sneak and hide? Why have your friends watching me while you are off doing god knows what?"

"You're right. I should have told you but I wanted to avoid the look that you have on your face right now. I don't like it when you are mad at me. I like it when you are my sweet Livvie. So please can you not be mad at me anymore? I will be completely honest with you from now on. Can I please have my baby back?"

She didn't respond. She just continued to look out the window.

Fitz gripped the steering harder than before while mumbling under his breath, "I am going to fuck Stephen up."

They got home and changed into their night clothes. Liv climbed into bed first turning her back to Fitz's side of the bed. Fitz climbed into bed and put his arm under her neck and over her waist holding her as close to him as possible with her back still to his chest. They sat there in silence for what seemed like an eternity.

Fitz kissed her shoulder, "I am getting rid of the Ferrari."

"Fitz, don't-"

"No, I want to. I know how you feel about them and that they bring up painful memories. I only got it to attract women but now I got you. Plus we can only drive it when we don't have Allie and I miss her so much right now that I don't want to go too many days without her. So I think the best thing for me to do is to get rid of the car that way we will have room in the garage for your car."

"Fitz, you don't have to do that for me. You love that car."

He squeezed her tighter, "I do but I love you more. I am not doing it for you. I am doing this for us and our family."

She turned around to face him, "I love you, Fitz. I love you so much that it scares me. This whole relationship scares me. I am so happy with you and I keep waiting for it all to crumble so I keep looking for things that aren't there. I keep waiting for you to break my heart. I am sorry for not believing you tonight. I am just scared that's all."

He kissed her lips, "I am scared too baby. I scared of waking up without you in my life. I meant it when I said that I need you. You mean everything to me, Livvie. So trust me when I say that I will never do anything to hurt you or make you leave me because there is no me without you and Allie."

"I love you, Fitz."

"I love you too, Livvie."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

That Saturday, Liv finished moving all of hers and Allie's things into Fitz's house. They spent all day organizing the closets and dressers plus getting the nursery ready for Allie's return.

That Sunday, they both met Liv's parents at church. As usual, Maya was not pleased to see Fitz but she tried to make the best of it. Fitz had agreed to meet the boys for their pickup basketball games they usually have on Sundays so he left right after church giving Liv time to explain to her parents about her new living conditions.

Liv figured it would be best to ride to church with Fitz and then have her parents bring her home after their Sunday lunch. They went to their usual restaurant and Liv ordered a salad because Fitz had cooked her a big breakfast this morning.

Her father spoke first, "So Liv, did you get a lot of things accomplished this weekend without Allie to keep you busy?"

She took a sip of her soda, "Yeah, dad I did actually. That's kind of what I needed to talk to you guys about."

Maya looked at her, "What is it Liv?"

She cleared her throat, "Well, Fitz and I took a major step in our relationship over the weekend."

Maya's heart dropped, "Please don't tell me that you got married to him."

Liv chuckled. Her mother always had a way of being dramatic, "No mom, we did not get married. Geez, it is always the extreme with you."

Her mother ignored her statement, "Then what is it, Liv?"

Liv braced herself, "We moved in together."

Maya gave her a death stare, "Over my dead body, Olivia. You will not live with that man."

Liv looked at her mother, "Do you hear yourself, mom? He has a name and it's not 'him' or 'that man.' His name is Fitz and he loves me. I love him too. We want to be together. Contrary to what you think mother, I am not a child. I am a grown woman who is perfectly capable of making my own decisions."

Maya scoffed, "Liv don't be stupid."

"Mom, I am many things but stupid is not one of them. Nothing you say is going to make me change my mind."

Her father stepped in as the voice of reason, "So where are you living?"

Liv looked at her father, "He has a mansion in Malibu. We've set up Allie's nursery next to the master bedroom. We most likely will keep her in the same daycare since it is close to where we work but we are just going to play it by ear."

Her father looked at her mother before he spoke, "Sounds like you have thought this through."

"We have daddy. I love Fitz and he wants to be with me. He makes me feel alive like I can take on the world. He is not Jake. He is nothing like him and I am not about to make a good man pay for the past mistake of a horrible man."

Her parents looked at her for a few minutes. Then her father spoke again, "Liv we just don't want you to get hurt again but if you say you've thought it through then I believe you. I know that Fitz loves you. I saw the worried look he had on his face Thanksgiving. It was the same look I had when you had your first episode. He realized that he could have lost you and it scared him. I knew that he meant it when he said you wouldn't be alone because I couldn't leave your side either. That first episode shook me to my core. It made me reevaluate what really matters in life. I am sure that it did the same thing to him. So I trust your judgment but promise us that if you are ever in trouble again that you will come to us."

"I promise dad. I told you guys no more secrets."

Her father looked at her mother and they were content with her responses. They knew that it was out of their hands.

She looked at Allie in her high chair and smiled. She truly missed her baby, "So how was she this weekend?"

Maya smiled when she looked at her granddaughter, "She was fabulous. She was very very active. She should be crawling any day now."

Liv was excited, "Good, I was afraid that I might miss it. Fitz actually went crazy while we were Christmas shopping for her. UPS will be delivering packages for days." She laughed thinking about Fitz shopping.

Her mother looked at her and saw this glow about her, "You look happy, Liv."

She replied boldly, "I am happy, mom. I am extremely happy."

They ate lunch and her parents drove her back to Malibu. She let them inside to take a tour of the house. They were quite impressed with her new place. She told them about her ideas for decorating the nursery. She had a designer scheduled to come that Wednesday to finish it. Fitz had told her that the sky was the limit. So she wants to make sure Allie's room is done correctly. Her mother even gave her a few ideas on how to decorate the nursery and the master bedroom. The house had more of a bachelor's pad feel to it so Fitz told her that she was welcome to put her feminine touches throughout the whole place. Her parents decided to stay for a while. They sat around the living room laughing, talking and reminiscing.

X X

Fitz was playing basketball with his friends. They played a couple pickup games with some local guys. After that they just took turns shooting around. That was the time they usually talked and discussed their problems.

Fitz looked at his boys, "Guys I am getting rid of the Ferrari."

They all said in unison, "What?"

"Yeah man, it's just time. I don't have any reason to drive it anymore plus my girlfriend and I get into fights every time I do drive it. It's too much of a hassle to keep it especially after the bullshit Stephen did."

Stephen got defensive, "What bullshit? It's not my fault that you forgot how to have fun. I can't help it if your girlfriend has you on a short leash."

Fitz walked over and pushed him down. Harrison and Huck grabbed him holding him back, "I should beat your ass right now for what you did. Do you realize that she could have left me because of you?"

Huck spoke to him, "Calm down, Fitz. He ain't worth it."

Stephen got up, "She should have left you then maybe our friend will come back. Ever since you got with her, you don't hang out any more. You don't drink like you used to. I watched you in the club; you had one beer all night. She's changed you. You've gone soft and weak. I don't even recognize you anymore."

Fitz looked at his friend, "You're jealous because I am no longer out here chasing pussy like you. You did that shit in my car so that she would break up with me because you are jealous." He ran his fingers through his hair, "I am in love. Don't you get that? She is it for me. One day that woman will be my wife. People are supposed to change and grow. The only thing that is constant in life is change. I can't be the same pussy chasing Fitz that you want me to be. She makes me want to be a better man."

"What was wrong with the old you, Fitz? You were just like us."

He yelled, "I got tired!" He looked at the shocked faces of his friends, "I got tired of banging this chick and that chick. I got tired of driving home late at night with a hangover and crawling into an empty bed. I got tired of being lonely. I would look at myself in the mirror and not recognize the man I had become. If it wasn't for my job that my father _gave_ me, I had no reason to get up in the morning."

His friend asked him point blank, "And now?"

Fitz sighed, " _Now_ , my daughter's cries are enough to wake me up every morning. I go to sleep at night with Liv in my arms and it is the most peaceful sleep I have ever had. I like fucking the same girl every day and night. I look at her and it turns me on that she is all mines. I don't have to wonder about whose the next dude she is going to be fucking because she was made for me. I got up and cooked her breakfast this morning simply because I wanted to. I like having somebody there. I like taking care of her. She got sick Thanksgiving and it scared me half to death that I might lose her. Now I am able to look at myself in the mirror and not despise the person I am. I am a man in love with an incredible woman and she makes me happy."

They all stood there not knowing what to say anymore.

Fitz thought before he spoke again, "Stephen, you used to be my friend. No you were more than that, you were my brother. But to know that you were deliberately trying to ruin my family and sabotage my relationship makes me question our friendship."

Stephen simply looked at him, "So what are you saying, Fitz?"

"I am saying that we aren't friends anymore. You tried to hurt the person I love more than anything in this world and that is something I cannot condone. You tried to break her heart and make her cry. Seeing her hurt hurts me. No _friend_ would purposely do that to another friend." He grabbed his bag and threw Huck the ball. He fist bumped Harrison and Huck, "It's been real guys. I will catch you later." With that he got in his truck and left his friends standing around the basketball goal.

He drove home and pulled into the driveway to find that Liv's parents were still there. He walked in the house to find them sitting in the living room talking while Allie was on her tummy on the floor.

Liv smiled when she saw him, "Hey babe. You're home early."

He sat beside her on the couch and gave her kiss, "Yeah I know. I really missed you guys." He greeted her parents then he looked at Allie on the floor, "I missed you more. How's daddy's princess doing? Hey pretty girl!" Her face lit up when Fitz joined her on the floor. She started pushing up on her arms rocking her body. She was excited to see him.

Liv took out her phone, "Oh my god, I think she is trying to crawl to you Fitz."

He put his arms out to her, "Come on Alleycat, crawl to daddy." As soon as he said that, she started inching towards him.

Everyone could not believe what they were witnessing. She crawled all the way into his arms and giggled when she made it. He picked her up lightly tossing her in the air like he normally does.

Maya looked at Fitz differently for the first time, "Wow Fitz, she really loves you."

Never taking his eyes off of Allie, "I love her too. I love both my girls. This is daddy's baby right here. This is my heart. Truly the best part of my day."

Liv did notice that something was off about his demeanor but she didn't want to ask in front of her parents so they just continued to watch Allie crawl back and forth to Fitz. He was definitely a hands-on father tonight. When Allie got hungry, he fed her. He changed her diaper. He played with her for a while. He had been away from her for an entire weekend and he truly missed her. Liv's parents stayed until Allie finally fell asleep in Fitz's arm. Liv walked them to the door while Fitz put her down in her nursery. He stood over her watching her sleep until Liv came upstairs.

She walked in the nursery and put her arms around his waist from behind placing her head on his back. He just couldn't take his eyes off of Allie. Liv finally pulled him out of the room to their bedroom. They sat down on the edge of the bed.

She wrapped her arms around him again, "Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

He smirked, "What makes you think something is wrong?"

"Because I love you and I know you. I know when something is wrong. So are you going to tell me?"

He sighed, "I lost a friend today. I told Stephen that we were no longer friends."

Her heart hurt for him, "Baby, I am so sorry. What happened?"

"We discussed the incident with the car and he said that he did it on purpose so that you would leave me then I could go back to being the way I was before. I told him that anybody who purposely tried to hurt you was not my friend."

"Fitz, I wish I knew what to say to you."

He kissed her softly, "You don't have to say anything. I believe that everything happens for a reason. The reason I came home early was because I chose my family over my friends. If I would have stayed then I would have missed my daughter crawling for the first time. That was special because she crawled to me. She waited until her daddy came home to crawl." A tear fell from his eyes, "My little girl waited for me. I mean did you see the smile she had on her face. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen."

Liv chuckled, "I guess that makes her a daddy's girl, huh?"

He laughed, "It definitely makes her a daddy's girl."

They both laughed. "Today has been full of ups and downs."

Fitz nodded his head, "Yes it has. Church with you was nice. I lost a friend. Allie crawls and then to top it off, your mother actually said something nice to me."

Liv rolled her eyes laughing, "Oh my god, it's the Apocalypse! The world is coming to end!"

He laughed harder than before. Truth be told, he needed to laugh to with her. He kissed her forehead, "Come on babe. Let's go to bed. We have to work tomorrow and it's going to be hard to pretend like I haven't seen you naked."

She playfully punched him. She knew he was right. This week off had spoiled them. They were used to being open and free with each other but tomorrow the reality of their relationship will set in. Pretending is a lot harder than either of them realized.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"OOOH Fuck!" Olivia awoke to the sensation of tongue being pressed into her clit. She reached down and grabbed a head full of curls between her legs. She felt arms being wrapped around her thighs as the tongue kept driving deeper and deeper in her core.

She kept moving from the overwhelming sensations that were shooting through her body. She started moving her hips as he increased his tongue movements. He added a finger in her core to go along with tongue. It nearly sent her over the edge.

"MMMM Fitz! What are you doing to me?"

Swirling his tongue around her clit, "I was hungry for my pussy!" He added another finger and pushed them harder and deeper while he flicked her clit with his tongue.

She screamed, "OH Shiiit. I'm cumming. OOOH GOD!"

"Cum for me baby! Cum on my face!"

She screamed as she came. Her muscles tighten when she had her orgasm spilling her juices all over his face. He pulled his fingers out and licked her pussy clean. He climbed up her body lining his hard cock in her core.

He gave her a mischievous smile, "You taste so good." He bent down to her face, "Here, taste yourself." He kissed her mouth sticking his tongue in allowing her to taste her essence on his tongue. He gently entered her feeling her moan in his mouth. He moved his hand to her ass lifting it up off the mattress allowing her to drill deeper into her core.

"FUUUCK Livvie! I love my pussy. It's just for me, right?" He pound in her harder making her lose control. He took her hands and placed them above her head making her grabbed the headboard. He noticed that she didn't respond to his question so he asked again.

He slowed down his pace and looked into her eyes, "It's just for me right, Livvie."

She whispered, "Yes, Fitz!"

He thrust into her deeper, "Say it! I need to hear you say it!"

She responded, "This is your pussy, Fitz! It's only for you!"

That's what he needed to hear. He picked up a pace faster than before. All you heard were the sounds of him pounding her wet core and her moans. He gripped her hands on the headboard harder as he felt his climax near. He didn't want to explode too quickly. He tried to slow down again but she kept tightening her muscles on his dick.

"SHiit Livvie!"

She screamed, "OOOOH FITZ! I'm cumming."

He knew there was no turning back now as he fucked her as hard as he could. He kissed her muffling her screams as they came together. He spilled all of his seed inside of her. He continued to kiss her while his erection slowly went down still inside of her. She pulled him deeper into the kiss by gripping hair and pulling him into his mouth. They kissed for what seemed like an eternity. He finally pulled back and pulled out of her sliding next to her on his back.

Breathing heavy he whispered, "Good Morning, Baby!"

Still trying to catch her breath, "It is definitely a good morning. That was the best part of waking up." They both laughed as their heart rate finally slowed down. She turned to look at him, "May I ask what brought that on?"

He turned his head to look at her, "Well I just fed Allie then I came back in the room and saw how sexy you were looking. I just couldn't help myself. You must have been in a deep sleep."

"I was. I don't know why I have been sleeping so hard lately. I hardly hear Allie during the night. I don't know what's wrong with me."

He turned his body to face her stroking her face, "Maybe you finally feel safe. You've had a rough few years especially doing it by yourself. Now you know that you aren't alone and you are safe. You are just catching up on years of sleep."

She thought for a minute. Maybe he was right. She was always on edge when she was with Jake. After their breakup, she constantly relived the trauma whenever she slept. After she finally got therapy and learned to live with the trauma, Allie was born. After that she was focused on being a single mother and hardly got any sleep. But now she had Fitz. He was her rock. He was right. She felt safe.

He could see that she was in deep thought, "What are you thinking about?"

She smiled at him, "Just thinking about how much I truly love you."

"Not as much as I love you." He looked at the clock and it read 5:30. "What time are you getting up?"

"Probably 30 minutes. Why?"

He scooted towards her pulling her into his arms placing her on his chest, "I just wanted to know how much longer I had to hold you. I really love having you and Allie here. I don't want to live my life without you guys in it. You told me that it was all for me well I am telling you this is all for you." He kissed the top of her head, "I am not going anywhere unless you are going with me." He squeezed her tighter as she settled into his chest. A single tear fell from her eyes as she took his words to heart.

They finally got up and got dressed for work after staying in bed an extra 45 minutes because neither wanted to move. Liv got Allie dressed while Fitz packed her diaper bag. They went downstairs where Juanita was in the kitchen. This was the first time she met Liv and Allie because Fitz had given her Thanksgiving week off. Liv wasn't use to someone cooking her breakfast but Juanita explained that it was her job. Liv finally allowed her to make her some waffles and an omelet. Liv and Fitz agreed to take separate cars to work for several reasons. They still weren't ready for the office to find out about them but also if one of them needed to work late or run errands then the other one would not be stranded. Liv was going to drive her Rover as always but Fitz kept insisting that she take his Escalade. He hardly drove it to work so not many people knew it was his car plus he liked the idea of her driving his car. That way he was not too far from his mind.

She finally gave in and took his truck. She had to take Allie to daycare while he went straight to work guaranteeing that they would not show up at work together. They worked hard all day trying to hide their feelings for each other. Whenever they would be in a meeting, they would sneak glances and smiles at each other when they thought no one was looking. Unfortunately for them, Cyrus was always looking. Fitz would feel himself getting hard watching Olivia work a room. She was smart, beautiful and brilliant but most importantly she was all his.

After work they went home to eat dinner, play with Allie, and spend time with each other curled up on the couch. This is what their day was mostly like Monday and Tuesday.

Wednesday would be different because Liv was scheduled to meet the Interior Designer after lunch so she was left work early. She decided to work through lunch and leave at 1 pm. Fitz on the other hand was leaving the building for lunch. His father had an administrative assistant's appreciation lunch for all of the assistants in the building. Before he left, he stopped by Liv's office.

He closed the door after he entered, "Hey sweetie. I just wanted to see you before I left."

She looked up from her paperwork and smiled, "Aw baby. You are too much sometimes."

He walked over and gave her a kiss on her lips. He sat down on her desk, "What do you want to do after I get off of work?"

She sighed, "I don't know. Since you are picking up Allie, why don't you pick up some dinner for us?"

He thought, "I could do that or how about we go out to eat."

She leaned back in her chair, "We could do that, too. You decide where."

"Ok. I was also thinking that we can take Allie to the mall to get her first picture with Santa."

She was shocked by him, "Wow. What made you think of that?"

"Well I was talking to Emily and she said it is important to document the baby's first Christmas. It's special memories for the parents. So I kind of want those memories."

"O-Okay. We can do that. I should be ready to go when you get off of work."

He leaned down and kissed her again, "Deal. Love you, Livvie. See you this evening."

Fitz left and went to lunch with his father. He sat at a table surrounded by at least 40 women and few men. His father made a toast and passed out annual bonuses. Fitz looked around at the table and realized that he had fucked at least 10 of the women at the table. Throughout the lunch a few of the ones he had slept with and a few new ones were giving him the eye or winking at him. Normally he would relish in the attention but he started to feel uncomfortable. He looked at all of those women and one thought came to his mind, "They don't hold a candle to my Livvie."

As he helped his father pass out bonuses, women passed him their numbers on a napkin and he just stuck them in his pocket. He wanted that lunch to end as soon as possible. After his services were no longer needed he excused himself and went back to the office. Olivia was gone by the time he got back. He went to his office and closed the door. He didn't open it until it was time for him to go home.

Liv went home to wait for the Interior Designer to show. She had some ideas for the nursery, master bedroom and living room. She didn't want to overwhelm Fitz with a lot of changes but she did want to make it look like her home as well. She walked into the house while Juanita was cleaning the living room.

"Good Evening, Miss Olivia. Is there something that you need me to do?"

Olivia plopped down on the couch exhausted from her day. "No, I am just waiting for the designer to arrive."

Juanita smiled at her, "What are you designing?"

"Oh, Fitz wants me to add my touch to the house. To be honest, I am kind of nervous. Can you tell me what things his fiancée did to the house when they were together?"

Juanita sat down on the couch across from her, "Honestly? You are the first woman he has ever brought here let alone lived here."

Liv mouth dropped at this revelation, "I-I-I thought his fiancée lived with him before."

Juanita shook her head, "No, Mr. Fitz bought this house after their breakup. He said it was his sanctuary, his place of solitude. He didn't want to share his space with anyone so he never invited people over. I mean, his friends came over once or twice but it was usually just him. He liked the peace and quiet. But I guess you've changed all of that. I have to admit, you have been good for him, Miss Olivia."

Before Olivia could say anything, the doorbell rang. Juanita jumped up to get the door but Olivia told her that she would get it. It was the designer. Olivia and the designer went over several things to do for the nursery, master bedroom and living room. She picked out all new furniture and chose to redo the artwork throughout the house to give it more of a family look. She looked through several catalogs carefully picking out everything that she thought Fitz would like for her to choose. Liv had looked through so many things that she lost track of time. But the time she decided and finalized everything, Fitz and Allie were walking through the door.

She stood as they walked in, "Hi"

He smiled, "Hi." He gave her a quick kiss as she took Allie from his arms.

She introduced the designer to Fitz, "Fitz, this is Christy Boykin of Boykin Designs. Christy, this is my boyfriend, Fitzgerald Grant."

They shook hands, Christy spoke, "Mr. Grant, it's a pleasure to meet you. Your girlfriend has remarkable taste. I can't wait to get started."

He looked at Liv, "Great. I am glad."

Christy handed Liv the estimate and Liv was shocked at the price. She thought for sure that Fitz was going to say it was too pricey but he looked at it then he looked at her, "Is this everything you want?" Liv shook her head yeah. He said, "Okay then. As long as you are happy, then it's fine with me."

She smiled and went back to Christy, "I guess you can get started tomorrow. We will be at work but Juanita will be here to let you in."

Christy shook hers and Fitz's hand then gathered her things and left to prepare for tomorrow. After she left, Fitz changed his tie that Allie spit up on. They then piled up in Fitz's Rover and went to the mall. They stood in the long line to sit on Santa's lap. Allie was in her stroller playing with her toys while Fitz and Liv talked whispering in each other's ear.

Liv looked and saw the Dippin Dots stand. She went to get some ice cream while Allie and Fitz waited in line. Allie started crying as soon as Liv left so Fitz picked her up to console her.

"It's okay, Alleycat. Daddy's got you. Mommy will be right back." He pointed to the big Christmas tree by Santa's workshop. "You like the tree. You do, well I guess we need to get one then. Let's ask mommy and see what she says huh. You think mommy will say yes. I bet if you ask then she will say yes. I guess daddy has to ask mommy then, huh?"

"Ask mommy what?" Liv interrupted with her Dippin' Dots in a cup.

She fed Fitz a spoonful, "Mmm. That's good."

"Glad you like it. Now what are you two conspiring to ask mommy?"

Allie was cooing and giggling from Fitz bouncing her in his arms, "Well Allie wants me to ask you about getting a Christmas tree for the house."

She fed him some more ice cream, "I guess that will be nice. It will be our first official Christmas together so I guess a tree would be good."

"Yay, Allie! Mommy said yes."

She would feed herself a spoonful then feed him one, "You two are so silly."

Fitz looked at her, "What do you think about having family over to the house for Christmas?"

She looked at him puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"I mean it's Allie's first Christmas. It's our first Christmas. I want to spend it together in our home so why not invite our families to come over to spend it with us."

She gave him a skeptical look, "You want to invite _my_ parents to spend Christmas with us."

He clarified, "Your parents, Abby, Emily and the kids. I want a normal family Christmas at home. Something I never had before. They can spend the night and wake up Christmas morning with us. I just want us to be a real family for Christmas. What do you say?"

She smiled at him, "That sounds like a great idea. I will be sure to run it by my parents and Abby."

She put another spoonful in his mouth as he kissed her on the lips. Little did he know a pair of eyes was watching their little loving interaction from a distant. Those eyes walked up to him as he putting his tongue in her mouth during their kiss.

"Fitzgerald Grant, as I live and breathe."

He pulled back from their kiss to see Mellie standing before him. "Mellie, how are you doing?"

She looked from him to Allie then to Olivia, "I am doing good, just shocked to see you in line to see Santa, that's all."

He bounced Allie in his arms, "Yeah well we wanted to get our daughter's first pictures with Santa today. So you know-"

He could see that she was stunned by his words, "Your daughter?"

"Oh yeah. Sorry where are my manners? Mellie, this is my girlfriend, Olivia and our daughter, Allison. Liv, this is Mellie."

Liv and Mellie shook hands. Mellie looked back at Fitz, "Wow, things have really changed for you."

He had a smug look on his face, "Yeah they have. How are things with you and Andrew?"

She stuttered, "Uh-um-they are-they are going ok."

"Great. I guess everything worked out for the best." He looked to see that they were next in line, "Sorry Mellie but we are next and I don't want to miss her reaction to seeing Santa for the first time."

Mellie felt like she had been slapped in the face, "O-okay. T-take care."

By that time he had taken out a napkin from his pocket to make sure Allie's face was clean. To be honest, he really wasn't paying attention to Mellie anymore. He didn't even notice she had walked away.

Fitz was so excited that he could barely contain himself. He handed the dirty napkin to Liv. They both took out their phones as Fitz placed Allie in Santa's lap. Her reaction was priceless. When she saw Santa's face, she started crying. Fitz picked her back up to calm her down. They told the photographer to snap the picture the minute he sits her back into Santa's Lap. Fitz placed her back down and when he moved out of camera range the photographer snapped the picture. Two seconds after that, Allie started crying again. He picked her up and comforted her again. Allie was getting really attached to him and he liked that she wanted him to hold her all the time. They got two copies of the picture because Fitz wanted one for his desk at work.

They walked to the food court to eat dinner because Liv didn't feel like going to a restaurant to wait on food. She wanted something casual. As they were waiting in line at the Italian Eatery, Liv finished her ice cream and asked Fitz if he had another napkin so she could clean her hands. He went into his suit pocket and handed her one. She wiped her hands but noticed some writing on the napkin. It was a phone number from Ginger who was the assistant to Big Jerry. It had her number with a message "Thinking about you" on it.

She remained calm but her tone revealed a little hurt behind it, "Fitz, why do you have Ginger's number in your pocket and why is she thinking about you?"

Fitz felt like the weight of the world just hit his shoulder. How could he forget to throw those numbers away? He spoke to her in a hush tone, "Baby, it's not what you think."

"I am so sick of that line."

"Well it's true. I went to lunch with Daddy and all of the assistants in the building. As I was passing out bonuses, these women were passing me their phone numbers." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the rest to show her. "I just stuck them in my pocket because I was trying to get the hell out of there. I don't want any of these women. I only want you. You got to believe me."

She sighed, "Fitz I really want to believe you but what am I supposed to do when every time I go to the break room or the water cooler I hear someone make a comment about how you fucked them some place or how they wish you would fuck them again because your dick is so big. How do you think I feel knowing that half the women I work with have seen your dick or felt it? Something that is supposed to be mine yet they all know what it looks like."

He took her hand in his, "Look I am sorry for the asshole I used to be. They may know what it looks like but they don't know what it feels like to be made love to by me. I make love to you and you only. I've never kissed them the way I kiss you. When we make love, I make sure you are happy and satisfied. None of them can say that I ever did that for them. I am sorry that you have to go through this but a dick comes a dime a dozen. You have my heart and that's something no other woman can ever say. I love you and would never do anything to betray that love."

She looked into his eyes as if she was looking into his soul, "What about Mellie? Did you love her?"

"Honestly no. I thought I did. I tried to make myself believe that I could eventually love her but no I never was." He stopped and chuckled, "It's funny but I always said that if I ever saw her again I would be angry with her. I would tell her how much I hated her and how she ruined my life. But seeing her today, I really wanted to thank her. Without her leaving me, I never would have met you or Allie. I wouldn't have my family. So no I never loved her. Only you, Livvie. I was made to love you."

She believed him. Everything in her was telling her that he was telling the truth. They ate dinner in the food court. They shopped at a few stores. Fitz bought Liv a new Prada handbag to match her new shoes he bought. He loved spoiling her. They had walked so long that Allie fell asleep. After they left the mall, they went Christmas tree shopping. Fitz wanted a big tree so Liv let him pick the one he wanted. This was the first Christmas that he was excited about in a long time.

The tree was strapped to the top of the truck and they took it home. Fitz set it up in living room by the fire place. Tomorrow they would decorate it but for now they were just happy to have a tree. They stood together in front of the fireplace admiring their tree. Liv held a sleeping Allie as Fitz put his arms around her waist.

He kissed the top of her head, "Our first Pope-Grant Christmas tree."

She smiled, "I love it. It's perfect."

He closed his eyes and squeezed her tighter, "Thank you so much."

"For what?"

"Just being here with me. You don't know how much you being here mean to me. I haven't been this excited about Christmas since my mom died. She and I would always pick a tree and decorate it together. Friday is her birthday and I was feeling bad in my office today because I missed her. Just looking at this tree makes me feel like she is with me. Like she is watching over me and that she is proud of me. This is the first tree I bought since she died and it's because you and Allie are here. So I just wanted to thank you just for being here."

She turned to face him placing her hand on his cheek, "Trust me baby, there is no place in the world I'd rather be than right here with you. We are a family. We are going to have a fabulous Pope-Grant Christmas."

He placed his forehead on hers, "Yes we are." He kissed her gently then he kissed the top of Allie's head, "Come on, let me put my girls to bed."

They went to bed as exhaustion from the day took over their bodies. Allie cried twice that night. Both Liv and Fitz got up once with her. Fitz brought her back to bed with him letting her sleep in his arms. He finally admitted to himself that he was getting attached to her as well.

That Friday they went to his mother's grave with him as placed some flowers by her headstone. Liv rubbed his back and held his hand as he cried a little. He really missed her but for the first time in his life, he felt like he was going to be okay. He had his family. That was all that mattered to him.


	13. Chapter 13

Fitz, Liv and Allie were in the kitchen on Saturday evening. Fitz was trying to get Allie to eat Butternut Squash baby food but she kept refusing. Liv sat on the kitchen counter laughing at their interaction. Every time he would put the spoon to her mouth, Allie would turn her head.

Fitz even started begging her, "Come on, Alleycat. Eat it for daddy. Please baby girl."

Liv couldn't stop laughing, "Fitz, you are begging a 7 month old to eat her vegetables. What are you going to do when she is five and still refuses to eat them?"

He laughed, "I guess we will cross that bridge when we get to it." He saw that it was hopeless, so he sat the bowl down on her high chair and walked over to Liv. He stood between her legs and she wrapped them around his waist.

She put her arm over his shoulder, "Giving up, huh?"

He shook his head, "No, just taking a break. Trust me, I will get her to eat it. My mama always told me that you will eat it before it eats you. So when she is hungry, she will eat. She has to learn that vegetables are good for her."

"Really?"

He had a prideful look on his face, "Yep just like you are good for me. I need my vitamin P to survive."

Liv rolled her eyes, "And what is your vitamin P?"

He bit his bottom lip, "Your fat, wet, juicy pussy dripping down my throat."

She laughed, "You are so nasty, you know that."

"Only with you, Livvie. You are my drug and I am addicted."

She squealed as he put his lips on her neck making her moan. He palmed her ass as he pulled her closer to him. He was still latched on to that spot on her neck determined to leave his mark. She ran her fingers through his hair as she clawed at his back. She pulled his head off of her neck turning it towards her mouth tasting his tongue and bottom lip. She lightly bit his lip when he smacked her ass. Just as they were deepening their kiss, baby food came flying towards them hitting them in the face.

They turned to see that Allie had her hand in her baby food bowl throwing food at them. She was giggling, laughing, and throwing food everywhere.

Liv jumped out of Fitz's arms to grab a towel, "You left the bowl by her?"

Fitz looked at what was happening, "Sorry, I forgot to take it out of her reach." He moved the bowl out of her way as Liv was coming back in with the towel. She had cleaned her face and was cleaning up the area around Allie when the doorbell rang.

They exchanged looks at each other. Liv handed him the towel, "I will get the door while you clean her up. It's probably some more packages being delivered."

Liv walked happily to the door. She opened the door with a big smile but it quickly vanished at the sight of their visitor.

"Hello, Olivia."

"Mr. Grant."

Big Jerry stood looking at the shocked look on her face. He could tell that she wasn't expecting to see him. To be honest, this was the first time he had ever been to his son's place in the two years he had lived there.

"Well aren't you going to invite me in?"

Liv slowly blinked and closed her mouth, "Oh yes sir. Please come in."

Big Jerry walked in and looked around the living room. The décor was nice. It had a homely feel to the place. He could tell that Olivia had designed it because it had the look of a woman's touch.

She closed the door and walked over to him, "uh-w-would you like something to drink?"

He took a seat on the couch, "No, I would like to see my son."

"O-Okay. H-he is in the kitchen. I will go get him."

As soon as she turned to go get him, Fitz was walking out of the kitchen, "Babe, I think someone needs a bath-" He felt all the blood drain from his face as he saw his father sitting in his living room. "Dad, what-um-what are you doing here?"

Big Jerry stood up and walked towards his son, "I am testing a theory I had. You see I knew something strange was going on between the two of you but I didn't quite know to what extent. I noticed the way you look at her when she is giving presentations. Before she came, you would stare off into space or scribble in your notebook. But when she is up front, you give her your undivided attention like you are trying to dissect her. Then there was your little outburst at the lunch with Edison Davis. You two exchanged a look. It was very subtle but I saw it. You knew what she liked to drink and the whole time she sits next to you, you try to fight the urge to touch her. After that I decided to set you up, that's why we had the lunch with all of the assistants because my son would never pass up the opportunity to get some easy ass. But you did. Those women slipped you their numbers and you quickly left without giving them the time of day. So I decided to do some further digging. I went into both your offices yesterday and both of you had the same picture on your desk. It was the picture of this baby sitting in Santa's lap. Then I got Olivia's address from Human Resources and went by her house this morning. A spunky red head came to the door and told me that Olivia moved in with her boyfriend."

Fitz shifted uncomfortably, "Dad, I can explain."

"Really son, because I am waiting on a good explanation for why you went behind my back after I deliberately told you to stay away from her."

Olivia spoke up, "Mr. Grant, it's not all Fitz's fault. I am as much to blame as he is."

Big Jerry looked between them, "So what the hell is going on?"

Fitz looked at his father, "We are in love. I love her. This here is Allie." He turned Allie to face Big Jerry. "Allie is my daughter and we are a family. I know we had no right to keep it a secret from you but I didn't want to jeopardize Liv's job in anyway."

Big Jerry shook his finger at his son, "No son, the only person's job that is in jeopardy is yours. I told you that if I had to choose between you and Olivia then I would choose her. She brings money to the agency, big money. You are just a spoiled brat who takes up space. So you don't have to worry about Olivia's job. You need to worry about your own because if this relationship doesn't work out, you are fired."

"Mr. Grant-" Liv went to speak but Fitz stopped her.

"Livvie, why don't you take her and give her a bath? She is super sticky and cranky. I think she is ready for her nap."

Liv knew that look. She knew he wanted to talk to his father alone. She took Allie from his arms. He gave her a reassuring kiss then she turned and walked upstairs towards their bedroom.

Once she was out of earshot, Fitz sighed, "I know you think that I am some royal fuck-up and for the most part you are right. But don't try to undermine my relationship and my love for Olivia. This isn't about me keeping my job. I just didn't want to add too much pressure on her. Keeping quiet was her decision and I respected that. I personally would love to shout from the rooftop that I am in love with her. She is it for me, dad. When the time is right, I will ask her to marry me. So I don't care about my job. You can fire me now if you want. But don't ask me not to be with her because that is something I can't do."

Big Jerry just stared at his son. He was no longer looking at a boy. He was looking at a man. He had to admit since he started noticing the way Fitz looked at Liv, he also noticed that his son was never late for work or for meetings. He was better prepared and showed interest in the company. He had even called Stephen to see if Fitz was still going out drinking. He was surprised when Stephen told him that they were no longer friends. Fitz had chosen his girlfriend over their friendship. Fitzgerald III was finally turning into a man.

"Fitz, if you love her like you say you do then you two have to stop hiding. You are one of this city's most eligible bachelors. You are set to take over the company. You need to show people that you have grown up. You need to show our clients that I am not turning this company over to some drunken teenager. I see a change in you. I know that Olivia is the reason for that change. But you will soon be the face of the company so you have to be seen. What better way to be seen than with a beautiful woman on your arm? I know you want to protect her and whatever you two have with each other but it's not possible. So if you love her like you say you do and you want to shout it from the rooftop, then you two will make your first public appearance tomorrow at the Christmas Gala downtown. I will add your names to the guest list."

Fitz asked if father point blank, "And if we don't?"

"Then you better start looking for another job instead of playing house."

Big Jerry left leaving Fitz alone with his thoughts. Fitz finally went upstairs to find Liv bathing a very active Allie in the tub. She was splashing water all over the place. Fitz stood in the doorway smiling as she made cooing and giggling sounds.

Fitz rolled up his sleeves joining Liv on the bathroom floor, "Can I take over now?"

Liv smiled as she let Fitz take her spot. Fitz started playing with Allie as she kept splashing water all over him. He played peek-a-boo which made her even more excited. After they played a few minutes, he cleaned her up. Liv brought her hooded towel and they got her out of the tub.

Liv blended in the background while Fitz got Allie changed and into an onesie. She played and cooed at him. He tickled her feet making her squeal with laughter. He needed this moment. Liv knew that he needed this moment.

Allie must have known that he needed this moment because out of nowhere she said, "da-da!"

Fitz looked at her and then at Liv, "Oh my god, did you hear her? My baby girl said da-da." Fitz picked her up and held her in his arms. She yawned so he knew she was sleepy. He took a seat in the rocking chair cradling her in his arms.

Liv looked on with tears in her eyes, "I will let you two bond while I make sure the kitchen is clean."

She walked downstairs where she cried in silence. She didn't know if they were tears of joy because Allie called Fitz daddy or if they were tears of sorrow because of what Allie's real father did to her. She just knew that she needed a good cry.

X X

Fitz came downstairs after putting Allie to sleep. Liv had cleaned up the kitchen and was sitting down watching TV. Fitz sat on the couch next to her. He put his arms around her pulling her towards his chest.

"Whatcha watching?" He stroked her hair.

"The Big Bang Theory." She loved when he stroked her hair. He had magical fingers. She turned off the TV and pulled away from his chest so that she could look him in the face. She put one of her legs over his. "Are we going to talk about what happened with your father?"

Fitz was really trying to avoid this conversation. They were having such a good Saturday before he came. He rubbed his hands through his hair, "Basically, he told me that I need to find another job."

"What?" She couldn't believe that his father would say something like that to him.

Fitz clarified his statement, "Well he didn't actually say that but that's what it boils down to."

"What exactly did he say, Fitz?"

He took a deep breath, "He wants us to come out publicly at this gala tomorrow. He wants me to parade you around so that everyone can see that I am not some philandering cad anymore. He wants me to show everyone that I have sort of settled down and stopped sowing my wild oats. He says that if we don't show up at the gala then I am fired."

Wow was all she could think. She didn't want to say it aloud because she could see that he was conflicted. She thought carefully about what to say next, "What if we go to the gala?"

He took her hand in his, "No baby, we are not going. You said that you aren't ready for us to go public and I respect your wishes. I am not going to have my father dictate our relationship. We will come out to the world when we are ready. Until then, I will just find another job. Besides I still have my trust fund so we will be okay."

She brought his hand to her mouth gently kissing his fingertips. This man was too much. No _her_ man was too much. He always put her needs before his owns. He never made her do anything that she wasn't comfortable with. Now it was time for her to do something for him.

"What if I said I wanted to go? What if I want us to take our relationship publicly? Will you go then?"

He stared into her eyes looking for signs that she was joking but she wasn't. She was serious. "Baby, I don't want you to do anything you don't want to."

She put her hand on his chest and said in a serious tone, "I want to."

Trying to understand her, he asked, "Why do you want to?"

"I want to do it because I love you and I want everyone to know that. Because I am tired of hiding our relationship. Because I want to be able to hold your hand while leaving work or kiss you in the conference room or even just simply smile at you when I am giving a presentation without it being some damn covert operation. Because I want people to know that you are no longer an eligible bachelor so those bitches at work can stop slipping you their phone numbers. You are mine and you are taken. But more importantly, because I can't bear going to work and not seeing you there especially when I can do something about it."

He grabbed her face slowly pulling her into a kiss. She crawled into his lap straddling him while never breaking the kiss. She deepened the kiss as she sucked on his lips tasting him with her tongue. He ran his hands up and down her body stopping them on her ass. He loved her ass. He was never an ass man until he met her. He moved his lips to her neck. He loved the way she felt on his lips. He sucked the spot that he knew made her moan.

Liv was getting so caught up in the moment. She was getting caught up in the feel of him. She wanted him to take her right there but she knew that they needed to finish this conversation.

"OOOh, baby….b-baby."

He whispered in a deep baritone voice, "Yes, Livvie. What does my Livvie want?"

Her eyes started rolling in the back of head, "W-we…we n-need.." She couldn't get her words out. She mustered up all the strength that she had to pull herself off of his lap. Pushing him away with one hand, "Baby we need to finish this conversation. Sex is not the answer nor is it the problem."

He desperately wanted his lips back on her body but he knew she was right. He laid his head back on the couch and stared at the ceiling, "If you want to go then I say let's go."

She smiled, "Really?"

"Really. Plus it will let everyone know that you are taken as well especially that Bill Cosby looking muthafucker Edison Davis. Maybe he will leave you alone and I won't have to beat his ass."

She rolled her eyes, "Fitz, I hate when you act like a barbarian. Can you please try to act civil?"

He replied in a loving voice, "If it will make you happy, then yes."

She threw her arms around him excitedly. Just as she started kissing him, Allie could be heard crying through the monitor. She stood up from him. "Let me go get Allie and then we are going shopping."

Fitz groaned and whined, "Baby are you going to drag me all over the mall again?"

"Yes, you know you love it."

"Only because I love you."

X X

The next night they arrived hand in hand at the gala. Fitz looked dashing in his new tuxedo that Liv picked out. She made him try on several before they found the right one. Fitz tried to explain that he had plenty of tuxes in his closet but she felt that since this was a new step in their relationship then he needed to have a new tux. Liv wore a red off the shoulder evening gown with four inch stiletto heels that made her appear much taller than her 5'3" frame.

Photos of them were taken and would be put in every society page of every newspaper. Monday morning everyone will know that they are a couple. The entire night they danced and socialized with most of the guests. Big Jerry was proud to introduce his son and his girlfriend. He proudly showed picture of Allie to anyone who would listen. He wanted them to see that his son was becoming a man. He bragged a lot on Olivia and her accomplishments as well. They were the "it" couple of the night. Fitz never left Olivia's side the entire night. Even when she went to the restroom, he waited outside the door. He caught a glimpse of Edison Davis as he and Olivia were dancing on the dance floor. He knew that he had promised her that he would be on his best behavior but he couldn't help feeling territorial. When Edison looked at them dancing, Fitz pulled Olivia as close to him as possible and gave her kiss on the lips. Once they pulled back from the kiss, he saw Edison fuming mad as he walked away. Fitz had a slight smile on his face. He definitely enjoyed his night. Tomorrow they would face the repercussions of their decision to go public but tonight they were just going to enjoy being together and being happy.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Ever since their relationship went public, life around the office was different. They went to the gala that Sunday and their picture was in the Society page that following Monday with the Title, "Is the City's Most Eligible Bachelor Taken?" There was a write-up about Fitz and Liv stating their background and occupation. Nothing about them living together or Allie was mentioned so Liv was happy with that. They were able to go public but keep some sense of privacy.

They continued to drive to work separately in case something happened and one of them needed to leave work early or stay late. When the story first broke, Liv got all kinds of looks from the women in the office. They would look at her like they were trying to figure out what made her so special. Fitz on the other hand started getting more attention from the ladies. It seemed like everyone wanted him more simply because they knew he was taken.

Even with all of those changes, Fitz and Liv loved the new office dynamic. They were able to make eye contact in meetings without having to be worried that someone will find out about them. When they had free time, they were always in each other's office. Overall going public had been the best thing for their relationship.

Now it was the night before Christmas Eve. They had family coming tomorrow and they couldn't be more excited. Liv's parents and Abby had agreed to celebrate Christmas with them. Also Fitz's sister and her family would be there as well. This was the first Christmas in a long time that Fitz was really excited and happy to celebrate. He and Liv had decorated the tree and hung their stockings around the fireplace. Tonight was their last night of peace before chaos would ensue tomorrow.

Fitz, Liv and Allie sat at the dinner table eating their takeout dinner that was delivered. Liv knew her mom would start cooking as soon as she walked into the house so she wanted something simple and light for dinner tonight. As they sat around the table, Fitz couldn't stop smiling as he looked at Liv trying to feed Allie.

Liv caught him looking at her and smiled at him, "What are you over there smiling about?"

"I don't know. Sometimes just watching you with her makes me smile."

Allie looked at him, "Da-da." It had been three weeks since she first said it and now it was like it came naturally. Every time she said it, it still melted his heart.

He rubbed her curly hair, "I am happy that I get to experience her first Christmas. This is our first Christmas together as a family and when I look at the two of you, sometimes I can't stop smiling. Tomorrow the first ever Pope-Grant Christmas will be in full effect."

She felt a tear swell up in her eye, "I am happy that you are happy. You are a good man and you deserve some happiness. I am just glad that Allie and I are lucky to have you in our lives."

"I think we both deserve some happiness. We have both experienced some heartaches and disappointments over the last few years. I think we were just due for some happiness. I truly love you guys."

"We love you too, babe. Isn't right, Allie?"

"Da-da"

"Yeah we love daddy, don't we?"

"Da-da!"

Fitz gave Allie a kiss on her head then he leaned gave Liv kiss on the lips. Liv pulled back from the kiss, "We love you, daddy."

All Fitz could do was smile.

X X

After dinner, they curled up together on the couch watching _The Big Bang Theory_ while Allie crawled around on the floor. When she finally got tired and cranky, they decided it was time to go to bed. Liv nursed Allie while Fitz took a shower. After Fitz was finish with his shower and put on his pajama pants, he and Liv swapped. Fitz put Allie to sleep while Liv took her shower.

Fitz put Allie in her crib and turned on the monitor. When he came in the bedroom, Liv had just turned off the shower. Fitz stripped down to his boxers and climbed into bed.

Liv heard him from the bathroom, "Babe, is Allie sleep?"

"Yeah, she is out for the count. Daddy has the magic touch."

"I guess so." She opened the door to the bathroom and stood in the doorway.

Fitz's mouth nearly dropped to the floor when he saw her standing in the doorway. She had on a beautiful white see-through negligee with matching laced thong and bra with a red bow wrapped around her.

He swallowed, "OH MY GOD! You look beautiful."

She slowly walked towards him as he sat up in the bed against the headboard.

She smiled at him, "Do you like it?"

He reached out for her as she climbed into the bed and straddled him. "I _Love_ it. You are absolutely beautiful. What is all of this for?"

She started kissing his neck and chest, "Well, it will be Christmas Eve in a few hours and I thought you may want to unwrap one of your gifts early."

He pulled the ribbon off, "I definitely would like to do that. I think Christmas is becoming my favorite holiday." He felt his cock getting hard in his boxers as she continued to kiss his chest. He gently peeled off the bow and took off the negligee leaving the thong and bra on.

She pulled back from him and admired his physique. He was a very sexy man with his brown curls and his washboard abs. She never liked hair on a man's chest before but his hair on his chest just made him look sexier.

While she was admiring him, he was admiring her. He was wondering what he had done to deserve a woman as special and beautiful as her. He loved everything about her from her beautiful brown eyes to brown chocolate skin to her plump juicy lips. His fingers went to her ass that he loved so much. He couldn't believe that he had this sexy beautiful woman sitting on his lap and the icing on the cake was the fact that she was all his.

She took his lips into hers. She ran her fingers through his curls as she pulled him deeper into her mouth. She loved the way he tasted and the way his lips felt on hers. She loved the way his hands felt as they roamed all over her body. Being with him made her feel sexy. Being with him awakened a sexual side of her that she thought had died a long time ago.

He tried to unhook her bra but she stopped him. She pulled back from the kiss, "It's my turn to please you." She moved off of his lap and helped him pull his boxers off freeing his rock hard cock. Before he knew what was happening, his cock was in her warm mouth.

"Oh shittt!" His head banged on the headboard when he threw it back in pleasure. Her mouth felt like heaven. "Fuck, Livvie."

She licked all the way up his shaft while _stroking_ it with her hand, "How does that feel baby?"

He grabbed her hair as she deep throated his cock in her mouth, "Shit, that feels amazing. Damn, I love you."

Something about him professing his love for her made her panties wet. She loved hearing him moan. She tasted the pre-cum from his cock as she played with his balls.

"Oh, Livvie. _My Livvie_." He started thrusting his hips in her mouth like he was fucking her. He felt his release coming. "Oh baby, I am going to cum-"

She whispered, "Cum for me baby. I want to taste you."

Hearing those words was enough to send him over the edge. He released all of his seed in her mouth. She sucked every ounce of him until she sucked him dry.

She finally came up for air wiping her mouth, "You taste wonderful baby."

While trying to control his breathing, he looked at her with eyes of amazement. He wanted her with every fiber of his body. Before she knew it, he flipped her on her back with him on top of her. He was anxious and aggressive in a rough sex kind of way.

He snatched her underwear off tearing them in the process, "Fitz, those were new."

Unhooking her bra, "Trust me, I will buy you plenty more of those." Once he had her completely naked in front of her, he dove his lips straight to her neck. He grabbed her by hair pulling her head back exposing her neck. He sucked on her neck so hard that he knew he was going to leave a mark. He liked marking her. Once he was done marking her neck, he moved to her breast. He sucked tenderly on the right one while playing with the left.

She moaned as she clawed his back digging her nails in him leaving scratches. She was shocked at his aggressiveness. Usually their lovemaking was tender and slow but tonight it was if beast had been unleashed. He was ravishing every inch of her body. After he finished sucking on her breast, he made his way back up to her mouth.

He kissed her like he was trying to swallow her tongue. It was like he was sucking the life out of her. She had turned on a switch and he was a man on a mission. His mission was her. He pulled her legs apart and rubbed her clit with his finger.

She moaned in his mouth as he inserted a finger in her core. When he inserted a second finger, she could no longer hold the kiss while she screamed in pleasure. Her screams and moans were like music to his ears. He went back to sucking on her neck while he roughly fucked her with his fingers.

"You wet for me baby?" He had a wicked smile on his face while he watched her eyes roll back in her head.

Trying to respond coherently, "Y-yeah. Ohhh Fitz!"

He felt her body trembling and he knew she had just cum on his fingers. That turned him on even more, "Did you cum Livvie?" He slowly pulled his fingers out of her.

"Oh, yes baby. I did."

He hovered his body over her looking her in the eyes. He had a look of determination that she had never seen before.

He spoke in a deep sensual voice, "Tonight since you are my gift, I am going to have you anyway I want you. First I am going to eat my pussy like I have never eaten it before. After I make you cum all over my face, then I want you on all fours facing the mirror because I want you to see me fucking you. Then I want you on your back with your legs over my shoulders as I go balls deep in my pussy. I am going to fuck you senseless tonight because you are mine. So be prepared because I intend to fuck you all night."

Every word he was saying was turning her on. His aggressiveness, his possessiveness and his desire for her just made her want him even more.

True to his word, he ate her like a starving man sitting at a Thanksgiving feast. He had her clawing and screaming like never before. He buried his face in her pussy and didn't come up for air until she had a massive orgasm. Then he turned her to face the mirror on their dresser and fucked her from behind. He pulled her hair and smacked her ass as she pounded the shit out of her. He made sure that she was looking at the way he was fucking her. To him, it was the most beautiful sight to see her ass bouncing off of his dick. After a few minutes, he flipped her on her back putting her legs over his shoulders. He put every inch deep into her making her cry out for mercy. Tonight there was no mercy. She was his gift and he wanted her to feel him.

He fucked her like she had never been fucked before. He fucked her into oblivion. Once he felt her walls tightening around his dick, he knew she was almost there. He wanted to finish with her. He pounded his dick into her until they both were coming at the same time. His seed spilled into her as she tried to catch her breath. He hadn't realized how much he was sweating until he wiped his forehead. He had never sweated during sex but now his whole body was dripping with sweat.

He pulled out of her slowly letting her legs fall to the bed. He walked to the bathroom to get a towel to wipe off the sweat. Liv felt like she was paralyzed. She had lost count of the number of orgasms she had. She felt exhausted and unable to move.

He walked out of the bathroom looking at her, "Do you need anything while I am up?"

She realized that her throat was dry from screaming. She sounded hoarse when she spoke, "W-water, please."

He smiled a sinister smile as he walked to the kitchen and grabbed two bottle waters. When he came back to the bedroom, he found her lying in the same position he left her.

He passed her a bottled water, "Here you go. Sit up and drink."

She took it from his hand, "I wish I could but I can't move."

He laughed as he put on his boxers then climbed into bed. He pulled her up and sat down behind her with his back on the headboard and her back to his chest. "Now you should be able to drink."

She opened the bottle and drunk over half of it in a few gulps.

Fitz chuckled, "Damn, I guess someone was thirsty."

She finally got her breathing and heart rate under control, "What the hell was that, Fitz?'

He kissed the top of her head, "What do you mean?"

"You were like an animal. I have never seen you like that."

He pulled her tighter to him, "I don't know but seeing you slobber all over my dick and cumin in your mouth just turned me on so fucking much. Damn, you just don't know what that shit did to me. I have never felt that way before."

Liv was shocked that a single act could turn him on. "What about all those fuckfest you had with your boys? How is that any different?"

He thought for a moment, "It's different because you are mine. I don't have to share you with anyone. That act had meaning behind it which made it different and special. Everything I do with you is special because I love you."

She turned to face him and gave him a quick peck on his lips, "I love you too baby."

"Good. Now drink your water while I start the shower and prepare for round two."

Shocked by his words, "Round two? Baby, are you serious? I won't be able to walk tomorrow."

He climbed out of bed and walked towards the bathroom, "I told you that I was going to fuck you all night and I intend to thoroughly enjoy my gift."

True to his word, he fucked her three more times that night. He had her in the shower, on the counter sink in the bathroom and on their bedroom floor. She finally fell asleep around 4 only to be woken up by Allie at 4:30. They both were exhausted from their night so she brought Allie into the room and fed her until they both went back to sleep. Their guest would be arriving soon but right now all she wanted to do was sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Everyone started trickling in the house shortly after 10 am. First Abby came with Leo. Liv was a little embarrassed at seeing him again knowing he had heard them having sex shortly after meeting them. She showed Abby to their room that they would be staying in for the next few nights. It was a five bedroom house and since the master bedroom and nursery were being used that left three guest rooms.

Her parents showed up next with a trunk full of gifts. Liv, Abby and Allie chatted with her mom while Fitz, Leo and Eli emptied the car. Emily, James and the twins were the last ones to show up around noon. The kids couldn't wait to go outside to the beach and build sandcastles. They thought it was so cool that Uncle Trey had a house right on the beach.

The men sat around in the living room while all the ladies went into the kitchen. Juanita was preparing lunch for the guests. Today was her last day of working for the holidays. Liv had asked if she could prepare the meal and she obliged with no complaints.

The women walked into kitchen just as she was finishing up, "Miss Olivia, I have everything prepared for your guests. All you have to do is keep the food warm and you should be all set."

Olivia smiled and introduced her to everyone, "Juanita, this is my mother, Maya; my best friend, Abby and Fitz's sister, Emily. Guys this is Fitz's housekeeper, Juanita. She is a godsend and a lifesaver." Liv hugged her as she spoke.

Juanita replied, "No, Miss Olivia is the godsend. I am happy that she is in Mr. Fitz's life. You raised a beautiful daughter, Miss Maya."

Maya looked proudly at her daughter as she hugged Juanita.

Liv took an envelope out of her pocket and handed it to her, "I just wanted to give you a little something to say thank you for all that you do for me and Allie."

Juanita tried to refuse it, "No, Miss Olivia, Mr. Fitz has already given me my bonus. You don't have to give me anything."

"I know he has Juanita but this is from me. This is from my heart. I want you to have it."

Juanita took the envelope, "Thank you, Miss Olivia. Is there anything else you need me to do before I go?"

"No, thank you. You have been a big help."

"Well, thank you and Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you too." They hugged one last time before Juanita left for the holidays to be with her family.

The women discussed work, children, boyfriends/husbands, and food while the men discussed sports. The men's discussion got so heated that it actually got loud. They argued over the best football teams, best quarterbacks, whose going to the Super Bowl then they discussed the NBA. Tomorrow would be Christmas Day and the game to watch would be the Heat versus the Cavaliers because LeBron would be coming back to play in Miami.

It was the Pope-Grant Christmas that Liv and Fitz wanted. They wanted their families to share their first family Christmas with them. Fitz caught a glimpse of Liv in the kitchen talking with the women and she had the most amazing smile on her face. Making her happy was all he ever wanted to do. She turned to see him watching her with a smile on his face.

He mouthed the words, "I love you" to her.

She mouthed the words back, "I love you too."

X X

After lunch, Maya started prepping food for dinner. After that, the men went to look at Fitz's car collection while the women went out towards the beach. Maya and Liv sat on the patio while Emily and Abby played in the sand with the kids. Liv smiled while Maya played with peek-a-boo with Allie.

Liv and her mom would occasionally make eye contact but Maya would never say anything to her. Liv knew that she was dying to say something, "What's on your mind, Mom?"

"Peek-a-boo! Nothing. I just-I hope that you and Fitz are using protection."

That came out of nowhere, "What are trying to say, Mom?"

Maya tried to be delicate, "I am saying for your sake, I hope you and Fitz are practicing safe sex. I mean you got bite marks and hickeys on your neck. You have been walking kind of funny and you look exhausted. Fitz can't seem to keep his hands off you whenever I am around so I can only imagine what he is like when you two are alone. I mean….I love Allie to death but until you are married, you don't need another baby. Plus there is no guarantee that Fitz is going to stick around if you get pregnant. I would hate to see you as a single mother of two. That's all."

Liv was becoming irritated, "Well not that it is any of your business but I am on birth control. I got back on birth control a month before I met Fitz."

"I know you are on birth control but you were also on birth control when Allie was conceived. I am talking about Fitz using condoms, Liv. It should not just be your responsibility. Some of that should fall on him."

Liv sat up in her chair, "Mom, what Fitz and I do in the privacy of our bedroom or wherever else we chose to fuck is our business. As for Allie, you know the circumstances that she was conceived from. I have worked hard to get past that but I see that you are so hell-bent on throwing it up in my face whenever it is convenient for you."

Maya looked at her daughter, "I am not trying to bring it up to hurt you. I am just trying to tell you that you need to be careful."

"Fine, you've said your peace. Now let's just drop the subject."

Just then Fitz came out on the patio, "Babe, do you have your keys to my Escalade? I can't seem to find mines."

She looked at him and he could see that she was upset, "Yeah, my set is in my purse."

"Well could you come and get them for me? You know I hate to go through your purse."

Liv got up walking past Fitz back into the house. Allie started bouncing in Maya's lap trying to get to Fitz, "Da-da! Da-da!"

Fitz took her from Maya's arms, "Come on, Pretty Girl. You want to go to the store with Daddy." He walked into the house and went upstairs to the bedroom where Liv was getting the keys out of her purse.

He walked into the bedroom and closed the door, "What's wrong with you?"

Hastily going through her purse, "Nothing. I am fine."

"No you are not. You are upset. Something or someone has upset you. Tell me what's wrong."

"NOTHING IS WRONG!" She yelled so loud that she scared Allie in Fitz's arm.

He looked at her and he ached for her. He calmed Allie back down, "Liv, you have got to talk to me. Something is wrong with you. I can't help you if you don't talk to me."

She finally reached her breaking point, "Fitz, there is nothing you can do. My mother will never change. Ever since I was a little girl, my mother has always found a way to throw my mistakes up in my face. Nothing I ever do is good enough for her. I will always be a screw-up in her mind. To her, it's my fault that Jake raped me and got me pregnant. She will never stop. There is nothing that you can do so just leave me alone. Here are your damn keys!" She slammed the keys in his hand and walked to the bathroom closing the door behind her.

Fitz left the room with Allie. They went to the store for a beer and liquor run with the other three men. Fitz stopped by and bought Liv some flowers to help cheer her up. He had to figure out how to put a smile back on her face.

When they got back to the house, Emily and Abby were sitting in the living room. Maya was still on the patio out back and Liv was still upstairs in their bedroom. Fitz wanted to go upstairs to console her but he had a few things on his mind to say to Maya first. He put Allie in her playpen and walked out back to the patio. He sat down in the seat that was previous occupied by Liv.

"Liv's upset. What did you say to upset her?"

Maya looked at him with a serious face, "Whatever conversation I have with my daughter is between me and her."

"You've upset her so now you and I have a problem."

She sat up in the chair, "If you must know, I asked her if she got pregnant would you be so quick to stick around or would she be a single mother of two."

Fitz cleared his throat because he wanted his words to be very clear, "I love Olivia with all of my heart and soul. I love Allie like she was my own. They are my family and I will do anything to protect them. If she got pregnant again, then I would do right by her and that child because I would be honored for her to carry my flesh and blood. She didn't ask to get pregnant and raped by Jake and you are wrong for constantly reminding her of that. She is upstairs upset because she thinks that she is nothing but a screw-up to you. To me, she is a vision of perfection. She has overcome so much in her life. You should see the way that operates in the boardroom. She is proud and fierce. I love her for her strengths but I love her more for her weaknesses. Now you are her mother and I will respect you to the utmost but I want you to hear me when I say this. You will not disrespect her or make her feel worthless especially in our home."

Fitz got up and left Maya speechless. She had no idea that she made Olivia feel that way. She admired Fitz more for taking up for her. What kind of mother was she? Her own mother used to make her feel that way. She promised that she would never do that to her child. Olivia was far from being worthless or a screw-up. If she didn't change her attitude soon, she may lose her daughter.

Fitz made it upstairs and walked into the bedroom. Liv was staring out the window looking towards the beach. She turned around when he entered the room. He had yellow tulips in his hand for her.

"Here baby, these are for you."

She smiled as she took them from his hand, "Thank you so much baby. I am so sorry for yelling at you earlier. You were just trying to help and I took my anger out on you."

He put his arms around her waist, "It's fine. You don't ever have to apologize to me. Your mother upset you and she shouldn't have. I wish I could take the hurt away. I wish I could take all those bad memories of Jake, your mother and anyone else who hurt you away. I would replace them with nothing but love and affection. Never forget that you are my Queen. If you get pregnant, I am not going anywhere. You, Allie and that baby will be stuck with me for the rest of your lives."

She smiled as she relaxed in his arms, "I love you so much, Fitz."

"I love you too, Livvie. My Livvie." He kissed her lips as he pulled her body flushed with his. As he started gripping her ass, she felt his erection against her stomach.

She pulled out of the kiss, "We need to stop."

Trying to kiss her again, "Why, Livvie?"

She stepped back from him, "First of all, we have a house full of guest and that would be rude. Secondly, I still have not recovered from last night's fuckfest so my body would greatly appreciate a break. Thirdly, I am ready to give you your second gift."

Fitz's face lit up. "What second gift?"

She grabbed him by the hand and led him downstairs. She came to a room that he had designated as her home office. It was hers to do what she pleased with it. It was a room he rarely went in anyway.

They stood outside the door, "Before you go in, I want you to know that I appreciate what you sacrificed for Allie and me. You invited us into your home. You allowed me to redecorate and rearrange everything and not once did you complain. You even sold your Ferrari for me and I want you to know that I love you for that. So I thought long and hard about what to give you for Christmas. What can I give the man who has everything?"

She opened the door and revealed his very own man cave. It was decorated with sports memorabilia and other collectibles. It had several flat screen TVs with huge recliners. It had a wet bar, a pool table, dart board, and air hockey games. It was amazing. She had done a complete overhaul of the room. He could not believe what he was seeing.

"Wow, Liv. Baby-oh my god. When did you do all of this?"

She could help but smile at his expression, "I had the designer remodel this room while we were at work. It took a little while to collect all of the items but I had three weeks to get it done. I spent my own money because I wanted it to be my gift to you."

He was totally shocked, "But why baby? What made you do this?"

"Before Allie and I came this whole house used to be your sacred place. I felt like we just took over your space so I wanted you to have another sacred place to go in times when I or Allie starts to get on your nerves."

He put his arms around her hugging her tightly, "Thank you baby. This is unbelievable. This is why I love you so much. You never cease to amaze me."

"You are welcome baby. I am just happy that you like it."

"I love it. Besides last night, this is the best gift you could have given me."

She smiled, "There is one more but you have to wait until tomorrow."

He kissed her softly "I love you baby."

"Love you too."

Fitz couldn't wait to show everyone his man cave. Everyone sat around in there watching different sport games. Liv made a point to stay clear of her mother for the rest of the evening. They all ate dinner and had a good time socializing while drinking wine and beer. Liv was exhausted from the night before so she and Allie turned in early which gave Fitz time to plan his surprise for her. He had promised that he would make this a Christmas that she would never forget. Eli helped Fitz sit the toys out in the living room like Santa Claus had been there. Toys were left for Allie and the twins but he also had time to slip Liv's gifts under the tree.

When he finally went to bed, Liv was in a deep sleep. He slipped into bed and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her forehead and whispered, "Good night, Livvie. I love you so much." After that he soon fell asleep while holding her in his arms.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

It was Christmas morning. Liv woke up around 5 am. She could not believe that she had slept through the night. She didn't realize how exhausted she was from the night before. She looked over in the bed at Fitz who had a sleeping Allie on his chest. She smiled because she knew that he got up to feed her at night like he usually does and Allie didn't want him to put her down. Those two had grown very attached to each other. It was funny to her that Allie would leave her and go to anyone that wanted to hold her but when it came to Fitz; she wouldn't leave his arms to go to anyone but her.

She got out of bed figuring she needed to get a jump start on this very busy day. She was still half asleep when she walked downstairs to the kitchen to warm up Allie's bottle because she knew that she would be hungry very soon.

She was surprised when she walked into the kitchen and saw her mother sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee. She had been avoiding her mother since their incident from yesterday. She wanted to still be angry with her but she figured that she could let it go because it was Christmas. Christmas is supposed to always be about love and family.

"Good morning Mom." She walked over and hugged her mother, "Merry Christmas."

"Good morning, Liv. Merry Christmas to you too baby. How did you sleep last night?"

Liv walked to the refrigerator to get Allie's bottle, "I slept great. I slept so hard that I didn't hear Allie wake up in the middle of the night. Thank God I got Fitz. He is a lifesaver with her sometimes."

Her mother thought about her conversation with Fitz yesterday, "Yeah he seems to really care about you and Allie. He loves you more than I give him credit for. He and I had a very interesting conversation yesterday."

She placed the bottle in the warmer and turned to face her mother, "Really? About what?"

"About you. He didn't like the fact that I had upset you yesterday. He told me that I make you feel like you are a worthless screw-up sometimes. He told me all the reasons why he loves you. He also demanded that I respect you especially in your house."

Liv was shocked. She had no idea that Fitz had even talked to her mother, "He really said that."

Maya got up from the table and walked towards Liv, "Yeah and he was right. I do need to respect you. You are not a screw-up to me, Olivia. I am sorry for ever making you feel that way. I just worry about you sometimes and I say the wrong things. I am very proud of you and the obstacles that you have had to overcome. It's not your fault what happened with you and Jake and I am sorry for ever making you feel that way. I promise that I will never bring it up again. I love you, Olivia. If you never listen to another word I say, I want you to know that I love you and I am happy that you are my daughter."

"Mommy, I love you." Liv hugged her mother. For the first time, she felt like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulder and she was looking forward to a new type of relationship with her mother.

When she pulled back from the embrace, she and her mother were wiping tears from their faces. Maya went to sit back at the table while Liv took the bottle out of the warmer.

"What are you doing up so early, mom?"

Maya sipped her coffee, "Well I couldn't sleep so I decided to make coffee for everyone and to see if you needed any help cooking today."

Liv shook up Allie's bottle, "Thank you for the offer but Fitz is having a catering company to deliver the Christmas meal in a few hours. He didn't want me stressing over the food along with everything else."

"What about your allergies, Liv?"

"I am going to be fine. We sent them a list of mine and Allie's food allergies. So everything is being taken care of. Trust me, Mom, Fitz has thought of everything."

Maya smiled at her daughter, "I see he has. The living room looks amazing. I can't believe he did all of that."

Liv didn't know what her mother was talking about, "The living room? What about the living room?" Liv walked out the kitchen and saw what her mother was talking about. Fitz had covered the living room with toys. "Oh my God!"

"Good morning, Beautiful." She turned to see Fitz and Allie coming down the stairs. "Merry Christmas!"

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately, "Merry Christmas, baby. This is amazing. You are amazing."

He kissed her forehead, "Well I wanted our Pope-Grant Christmas to be extra special."

She looked into his eyes, "Thank you so much baby. You don't know what this means to me. I love you so much."

"I love you too baby. Now let's show Allie what Santa Claus brought her."

They showed Allie her toys. Fitz had gotten her a rocking horse with a booster seat so she could ride on it safely. He got her several push and ride toys. He bought all of these toys by himself with no help from Liv because he wanted to surprise her. Emily had told him that Baby's First Christmas is really for the parents. He wanted their first Christmas to be special.

The twins came down and played with their toys. Everyone in the house eventually got up to exchange gifts. Fitz sat on the floor by the tree with Liv sitting between his legs. Allie was crawling all over the place. It was fun watching her trying to open her wrapped gifts.

Fitz passed Liv the gifts he had placed under the tree for her. The first one she opened was a five carat diamond tennis bracelet. It was beautiful. He had it custom designed. In the middle of the diamond were three birthstones. Garnet (January) for her, Emerald (May) for Allie and Peridot (August) for him.

She had a look of shock on her face, "Wow, Fitz. This is beautiful."

He smiled, "I am glad you like it."

He put it on her wrist and marveled at how perfectly it fit her.

He wanted to give her his other gift but she insisted on giving him her final gift. He opened it to find a coffee mug with a tiny handprint. The words on the mug read, "World's Greatest Daddy" with a picture of him and Allie on it.

She told him, "That's Allie's handprint. I wanted to give you something special from her. I know it may be a bit of a let down from your other gifts-"

He stopped her, "No, this is more special than any gift I have ever received." A lone tear fell from his eye, "This is beautiful. I truly love it." Allie crawled into his lap. He kissed her cheek, "Thank you, Alleycat. Daddy loves this." She slapped her hands on his cheek and smiled at him like she knew what he was saying.

Before he got too emotional, he had to give Liv her other gift. He handed her a small box. She shook it to see if she could figure it out. By now, all eyes were on her. Everyone wanted to know what was in the small box.

Liv opened it to find a set of car keys in it. At first glance it looked like Fitz's keys to his Escalade. "Fitz, why are your keys in the box?"

He had a smirk on his face, "Those aren't my keys. Those are yours."

Everyone else was confused as well. "But Fitz, I put my keys back into my purse yesterday."

Fitz got up and pulled her up to her feet. They walked to the front door. He opened to reveal a 2015 White Cadillac Escalade ESV with the platinum chrome package. "These are the keys to your car."

She nearly fainted from excitement. "You bought me a car. What… When… How?" She couldn't form a coherent sentence.

Holding her waist from behind, "I figured since we had his and hers Range Rovers then we needed his and hers Escalade. I had it delivered while you were asleep."

Now it was her turn to cry. She turned and hugged him tightly, "Baby, I love it but not as much as I love you. The bracelet would have been enough. This is too much."

He kissed her hair, "Nothing is too much for you. If I could, I would give you the moon."

They started kissing like no one else was around. Unfortunately for them, everyone was around.

Emily spoke up, "Guys, there are children here."

Then Abby made a smart comment, "Adults too. No one wants to see you guys making out."

Liv pulled back from their kiss to side eye Abby. She also caught her parents looking at her in a disapproving sort of way. She decided that they would have to finish it later. She inspected her car while Fitz told her some of the features that it had. She felt like a giddy school girl.

The catering company pulled into the driveway with the food while they were looking at the truck. Liv quickly decided that her hosting duties needed to be her number one priority. She helped them set the food up at the dining room table while everyone else in the house got dressed for the day.

Fitz fed and dressed Allie then he let her roam and play with her toys. The twins were excited to ride their new bikes outside for the first time in the driveway. Fitz went upstairs to take a shower and to get dressed. Liv saw it as a perfect opportunity to be alone with him.

She turned to her mother, "Mom, could you watch Allie while I go get dressed?"

Her mother smiled, "Sure baby."

Liv snuck upstairs to find Fitz in the shower. She quickly removed her robe and pajamas to join him in the shower. He turned around as the shower door was opening. He loved the sight of a naked Olivia joining him in the shower.

Smiling seductively, "Do you mind if I join you?"

He smiled back at her, "Not at all. I wish you could shower with me every day."

She entered the shower and he turned on all the sprayers. He had installed a 360 degree showerhead so that neither of them would be cold while the other one was under the showerhead. The only thing about that was Liv's hair would always get wet.

Liv stared at him intently, "Thank you for making this day special. I am not just talking about the gifts and everything else. I am talking about you loving me unconditionally. My mother told me that you talked with her yesterday. I feel even worse about yelling at you when all you have ever done was tried to help me."

"You are everything to me, Liv. I will not sit by and watch anyone hurt you. And that includes your mother. I love her and respect her but I have a breaking point. No one hurts you."

He stared at her with intense eyes that let her know that he was deep in thought. "What's on your mind, Fitz?"

He diverted his eyes for a minute before turning them back to her, "I was thinking about how I want this Pope-Grant Christmas to be the last one of its kind."

She chuckled a little, "Are you tired of everyone already? This was what you wanted."

He put his hands on her shoulder, "No, I am not tired of everyone. I love that our family is here. That's not what I mean."

She gave him a serious look, "What do you mean, Fitz?"

He sighed, "I want next Christmas to be just a Grant Christmas. I want you and Allie to be Grants. No more Pope-Grant holidays. I want all holidays to be Grant holidays. I want us to get married and I want to legally adopt Allie. I am tired of playing house. I want us to be a real family."

She was stunned by his words, "Are….you…" She cleared her throat, "Um-Are you asking me to marry you?"

He gave her his charming smile, "Yes, I am." He got down on one knee in the shower and took her hand into his, "Olivia, I love you so much. I want to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much you mean to me. So I am asking you, Olivia Carolyn Pope, will you be my wife?"

She looked down at the man who was kneeled before her. At that moment she didn't care about her hair getting wet. She didn't care that they had guest waiting on them downstairs. She didn't care whether or not their relationship was moving too fast. She didn't care about anything but this moment and this wonderful man.

"Yes, Fitz. I will marry you."

He stood up taking her face in his hand. He put his lips on hers and kissed her. It was a slow kiss because he didn't want to rush the moment. He wanted to savor ever once of her. He moved to her neck as she ran her fingers through his wet, damp curls. He spread her legs inserting a finger in her core. She moaned with pleasure.

A knock on the bathroom door pulled her back to reality. It was Abby, "Liv, are you in there?"

Fitz whispered in her ear, "Answer her."

Trying to keep her bearings, "Y-yeah Abby." Fitz inserted a second finger which damn near sent her over the edge. She moaned louder than expected which brought a smile to Fitz's face.

Abby heard her, "Liv are you okay?"

"MMMMMM. Y-yes, Abby. W-w-what's the problem?" Fitz took his fingers out lifting her leg as he inserted his cock in her core. He placed his hand over mouth so Abby wouldn't hear her scream this time. He pumped in and out of her slowly wanting her to feel every inch of him.

Abby put her ear to the door, "Nothing is wrong. Your mom just wanted me to tell you that we are ready to eat."

She mumbled, "Oh God" at Fitz because he knew exactly what he was doing.

He whispered in her ear, "My pussy always feels good around my dick. Do you feel me baby?"

She whispered back to him, "Yes baby. I feel you."

Abby knocked on the door again, "Liv, did you hear me?"

Liv yelled back, "Yes, Abby. B-be down in a m-minute." She gripped Fitz's hair as she whispered, "Fuck me baby."

He lifted her so that she could wrap both of her legs around his waist. He started fucking her faster and harder than before. She felt so tight around his cock like she was tailor-made for him.

He whispered, "I love fucking you baby. God I love you."

Abby knocked on the door again, "Liv have you seen Fitz? I have been looking all over for him to tell him we are ready to eat."

Liv looked at Fitz and shook her head no. He slowed down and smiled at her as he responded to Abby, "Yeah, Abby. We will be down in a few."

They heard Abby through the door, "Eww, You guys are nasty."

Liv gripped Fitz's shoulders as he went deeper into her, "Y-you shouldn't have done that?"

"You are going to be wife which means I can fuck you anywhere I please. So shut up before I fuck you into oblivion."

She knew he was serious. He gripped her ass as he bounced her off his dick. Soon she was trembling from her orgasm with him following behind with his.

She lathered washcloth with his body wash. She slowly washed his body starting with his chest. He lathered up his washcloth with her body wash and started washing her chest. They slowly washed each other and occasionally making eye contact. It was slow and sensual with both of them making sure to clean every spot on the other.

They both made it downstairs in time as everyone was sitting down at the dining room table. Liv made quick eye contact with Abby sitting next to her with a sinister grin on her face. Eli said the blessing. Everyone ate and enjoyed their meal. Fitz sat at head with Liv to his left placing Allie in her high chair between them. Her parents sat across from her watching the interactions between the three of them. Allie was being extra greedy today that they could barely feed her quick enough.

Everyone was having their own conversation as the room was filled with laughter and love. Abby couldn't resist the opportunity to talk to Liv about what she had heard.

"So did you two get clean after you got dirty?"

Liv smiled at her silliness, "Of course we did. We were in the privacy of our bathroom not on the street."

"Well you could have stopped for a second to have a decent conversation. I didn't have to hear your moans."

Liv rolled her eyes, "I had two years of hearing your moans and fights with David all over the house. Speaking of David, I guess you finally left him alone."

Abby shrugged her shoulders, "No actually he is with his girlfriend so I invited Leo to be with me."

She looked at her friend, "Abby you are playing a serious and deadly game. You need to leave David alone before something happens to you. Please tell me that you are using protection if you are sleeping with Leo and David."

"Of course I am using protection, Liv. Besides I got this all under control. Now when David has to go to be with her, I still have Leo."

"Abby, just promise me that you will be careful."

"Liv, trust me. I got this."

Liv went back to feeding Allie while occasionally glancing at Fitz looking for a reassuring smile. She really didn't know what to think anymore. She was worried about Abby but at the same time, she was worried about her own relationship. She and Fitz needed to have a serious talk. He had asked her to marry him. She had said yes but were they really engaged. He hadn't given her a ring. They never discussed if they were telling people or not. She started doing what she always did. She started overthinking the situation.

She decided that she would just enjoy the day and they would figure out the rest later. That's what she and everyone did. Everyone enjoyed themselves because the drinks for flowing, the children were playing, friends were talking and family was all around. Love and laughter was definitely in the air.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The next day everyone went home and life soon returned to normal. Liv and Fitz got back busy with their jobs and Allie. A serious conversation needed to happen but unfortunately for them, they never had the time. Anytime they were alone, Liv just wanted to enjoy the moment because their schedules and hardly gave them couples' time.

They brought in the New Year together at the company's annual New Year Celebration. They mingled with several employees as well as Cyrus and Big Jerry. They were executives and they had to play their roles. Fitz danced with a few female assistants but nothing seemed inappropriate. He would always dance with a group but never one on one.

Liv did feel a twinge of jealousy but she just brushed it off. She was learning that their relationship was going to be extra challenging because of their work conditions and his past but she had to learn to trust him.

Liv made her way to the bar. She got the bartender's attention, "Red wine, please."

A recognizable voice spoke out of nowhere, "I thought you didn't drink."

She turned to see Edison Davis standing beside her. She smiled, "I normally don't but I figured what the hell. It's the New Year and one drink won't hurt."

He sat down beside her, "So tell me something. Why don't you normally drink? Are you a recovering alcoholic?"

She chuckled, "No. If you must know, I am still breastfeeding my daughter. But she is with my parents tonight and by the time I feed her again, the alcohol will be out of my system."

He looked at her with awe, "Wow, interesting. I did not know you have a daughter."

"Most people don't." She took a sip of her wine. She had forgotten how much she loved red wine.

"What else don't I know about you, Ms. Pope?"

She could see that he was flirting with her, "Well I could fill a book with the things you don't know about me, Mr. Davis, but this is neither the time nor the place."

He chuckled "I admire your fire as well as your beauty. How about a dance?"

She shifted in her seat, "I don't think so. That would be outside the lines of our professional relationship."

He stood up, "Come on. It's a party. It's the New Year. It's just one dance and I will leave you alone."

She took a few more gulps of her wine and started feeling a little loose. "Okay. One dance."

As she walked to the dance floor, she didn't notice Fitz watching her. In fact he had been watching her the whole time she was at the bar. He felt rage and jealousy course through his body. Olivia was looking sexy in her blue spaghetti strap grown with her back out. Any man that danced with her would have to touch her bare back. It was fine when she danced with Cyrus, Big Jerry and a few other guys but this was Edison Davis. Fitz hated Edison Davis.

He watched them slow dance. He watched him whispering in her ear. He watched her laugh and giggle at the things being whispered in her ear. He saw Edison's hand spread over her back. He didn't like the sight of him being so close to her. He finally had enough.

He threw back the rest of his scotch that he had been drinking. He walked to the dance floor where they were. He could hear her laughing as he approached them.

"May I cut in?"

He startled her. His voice sounded different. It sounded cold. She stepped out of Edison's arm to face him. He looked angry.

He and Edison eyed each other before Edison spoke, "Grant, it's nice to see you again."

Fitz didn't respond. Liv could sense the tension between them. She turned to Edison, "Thank you for the dance and conversation."

Edison looked at her, "Anytime, Liv." He walked off feeling smug and arrogant.

Fitz grabbed Olivia in his arms and started dancing with her. He never spoke or looked at her. They just danced without saying anything to each other or making eye contact. He didn't left her side for the rest of the night. They played the role of executive and loving couple for the public. When midnight struck, they share a memorable kiss like everything was normal.

Shortly after midnight, Liv decided that she had had enough. She was ready to go. She drove them home because Fitz had too much to drink. The ride home was filled with silence. Text messages came to their phones from their friends wishing them a Happy New Year. So far their New Year was anything but happy.

When they arrived home, Fitz walked into the house towards the bedroom quickly stripping down to his boxers. Liv slowly followed behind him. By the time she made it to the bedroom, he was completely undressed and in the bed. She walked into the closet and changed out of her dress. She put on one of his t-shirts and climbed into bed. His back was to her.

She sat up in the bed, "Are you going to talk to me, Fitz?"

"I didn't know you wanted to talk to me. I figured you would be all talked out from your conversation with Edison."

"So that's what this is about? You are upset that I was talking to Edison."

He turned to face her, "No I am upset because you _enjoyed_ talking and dancing with him." He sat up in bed, "I am curious to know what you two were talking about. Whatever it was must have been pretty damn funny because you couldn't stop laughing."

"He told me a few jokes. It was nothing serious."

"Ok, well did you tell him that you are engaged?"

She was blindsided by the question, "N-no. The subject never came up besides I haven't told anybody."

"Exactly, I asked you to marry me. Yet you haven't told anyone. Why is that, Liv?"

She tried to make him understand her reason, "Baby, you haven't even given me a ring. You asked me in the shower right before you tried to fuck my brains out. I am not even sure that you were serious. It seems like you were caught up in the moment. Hell, I was caught up in the moment. So no I didn't tell him that I was engaged."

He clenched his teeth, "I don't want you anywhere near him again."

She rolled her eyes, "Fitz, tonight you danced, smiled and laughed with all different types of women many of them you have already fucked. Did I say anything? Did you see me get upset? NO! Why? Because I trust you. I love you. You and Edison can have this 'my dick is bigger than yours' contest all you want. You are not going to dictate my life and who I socialize with. You can behave like a crazy barbarian if you like. It doesn't mean I have to put up with it." She got out of bed and walked to the door.

He followed her to the door. He grabbed her arm, "Where are you going, Liv?"

She got up in his face, "I am sleeping in the guest room tonight. I don't want to be anywhere near you right now." She slammed the door.

They both tossed and turned all night. Both were waiting for the other to apologize but it was an apology that neither would receive. The next morning they continue to act the way they had the night before. They tried not to be in the same room as the other. If they said something it was short and curt. Fitz spent most of his day in his man cave watching sports by himself until Allie came home then he kept her in there with him. Liv threw herself into her work trying to prepare for upcoming accounts. This was basically what their weekend consisted of.

Monday rolled around and it was the start of another busy workweek. Big Jerry was putting more pressure on Fitz as he was grooming him for the big company take over this year. He was slowly giving him more responsibility. He even allowed him to run a few meetings.

After a few days of not speaking to Olivia, Fitz decided that enough was enough. He missed her like crazy. She was no longer talking to him or sleeping in the same bed with him. He was pushing her away but more importantly, she was walking away as well. After his meeting, he walked to her office. Her door was closed and he wondered if she was in.

"Quinn, is Olivia in today?"

Quinn looked up from her desk, "Yes, sir, Mr. Grant. She is in a meeting right now. I can buzz her and let her know you are here."

Thinking she may be doing something important, "No that's ok. I will come back."

As he turned to walk away, Liv's office door opened. She was laughing as Edison Davis was leaving her office. Liv saw Fitz and felt like a ton of bricks just landed on her.

Edison stuck out his chest, "Grant, I hope you don't mind me borrowing Olivia for a few days. I promise to bring her back in one piece." He turned to Olivia, "See you tomorrow."

Liv walked back into her office with an angry Fitz on her tail.

Fitz slammed the door, "What the hell was that? Why is he borrowing you for a few days? Why is he seeing you tomorrow?"

She sat down at her desk, "I was going to tell you tonight. I have to fly to Atlanta with him to talk to the Coke people. I will be gone for four days."

He stood over her desk, "Liv, you are not going anywhere with him."

"Well, Fitz I kind of have to. It's my job."

He groaned, "You are really testing my patience here. I asked you to stay away from him and now you are going away with him for four days."

She stood up from her desk, "First of all, you didn't ask me, you _told_ me. The last guy that told me to stay away from a man beat the crap out of me and raped me because he loved me. But that's not love. That's control. You want to control me, Fitz, just like he did. You may not hit me or do anything to purposely hurt me but it's still control."

Fitz looked at her with razor sharp eyes, "Really? You compare me to Jake after all I have done for you." He shook his head walking away from her desk, "Fine, you know what. Do what you want. I don't care. Fuck him if you want." He walked out of her office slamming the door behind him.

He was so angry that he left work. He went to a local bar for a drink. He had just downed his third glass of scotch when he felt a hand touch him on his shoulder.

He turned to find Mellie looking at him, "Well, hello Fitzgerald. I am shocked to see you here. I thought you would be somewhere under your new chocolate bunny with your mulatto daughter."

He cringed at the sound of her voice, "What do you want, Mellie?"

She sat down beside him, "I just wanted to say hi. You look like you could use a friend."

"No thank you. I don't need any more people to stab me in the back. How are things with you and Andrew?"

She sighed, "They are over."

He got the bartender's attention and asked for another drink, "What happened?"

"The official story is he wasn't the one for me. I liked him better when he was just a sidepiece."

He downed his scotch, "What's the unofficial story?"

She looked at him sweetly, "He wasn't you."

Fitz felt a tingle in pants. Maybe it was from the scotch or maybe it was because Mellie wanted him. He and Liv hadn't had sex in a few days. Hell, he hadn't touched her in a few days.

He knew it was wrong but he downed his sixth shot, "Let's get out of here." He threw cash on the bar to cover his drinks and they left.

He got in her car and they drove to the nearest hotel. When they were checking in, he pulled out his wallet to pay for the room then he stopped. She noticed that he wasn't moving.

"Fitz, what's the problem?"

He turned to face her pulling out a picture from his wallet. It was a picture of him on the floor by the Christmas tree with Liv sitting in between his legs and Allie laughing at him. Abby had taken that picture right after he opened his mug. Liv put it in his wallet because he told her that he always wanted a picture of his family in his wallet.

Tears started running down his eyes. He looked up at Mellie, "I can't do this. I can't do this to them. I can't hurt Olivia like this. I promised that I would never hurt her. I am so sorry, Mellie."

Mellie looked at him and knew he was serious. There was no way she could talk him into this. She shook her head and took his hand as they walked out of the hotel. They stood together waiting for the valet to bring the car.

She leaned her head on his shoulder, "She is a lucky girl."

Still staring at his picture, he sighed, "No, I am the lucky one."

It was a friendly innocent exchange but to Liv it looked anything but that. She was driving by and saw them standing outside the hotel holding hands with Mellie's head on his shoulder. He looked happy. He looked relaxed.

She started crying as she saw the man she loved standing with his ex. At this moment, she knew their relationship was over. She quickly drove to beach house. Packed her some of things for her trip along with most of Allie's stuff. She left her house key, the key to his Escalade and the key to the new one he had just bought her along with a note that read, "It's over" on the kitchen table.

Mellie took Fitz back to his office. He ran to Liv's office only to find out that she had left for the day. He called the daycare to see if Allie had been picked up and they informed him that she had. Fitz jumped in his car and made the drive home to Malibu.

He rushed into the house calling Olivia's name. The house was eerily quiet. He figured maybe she hadn't made it home yet. He called her phone but he was sent to voicemail. He walked upstairs to the bedroom. Immediately he noticed that something was wrong. He went to her draws to find most of them empty. Over half of her clothes were gone from the closet. He went to Allie's room to find the same thing. He realized that Liv didn't just leave, she left him. He called her again but it went to voicemail again.

He finally made it to the kitchen to find the keys and the note. He felt like his heart had been ripped from his chest. He called her several more times and each time it went to her voicemail. He sent her several text messages apologizing and asking her to please come home. He didn't know that their conversation in her office had made her this upset. He thought it was just a simple lover's spat. He called her parents to see if she was there. They told him that she had just left about an hour ago. She only came there to drop Allie off so she could leave for her business trip tomorrow.

He knew that she would be going back to Abby's place so he jumped in his car and rushed over there. He rang the doorbell and Abby came to the door with a look of disgust on her face.

"What do you want?"

He was out of breath, "Is Liv here? Please I need to talk to her."

Pointing her finger in his face, "She doesn't want to talk to you. Why don't you go talk to your ex-girlfriend or fiancée or whatever the hell she is to you?"

Fitz frowned up, "Mellie? What does Mellie have to do with me and Liv?"

"Liv saw you coming out of the hotel with her. She said you looked happy and relaxed like you had just busted a nut."

Fitz's face had to ultimate look of shock on it, "NO NO NO! That is not what happened. You have to let me talk to her." He started yelling, "LIV! LIV! BABY, PLEASE TALK TO ME! YOU GOT TO LET ME EXPLAIN! BABY PLEASE!"

Abby pushed him back from the door, "She doesn't need your lies or your explanation. She needs you gone."

He got down on his knees, "Please Abby, I love her. I would never hurt her."

Abby folded her arms, "Well you did, Fitz. She showed up here crying her eyes out because you hurt her. So do her a favor and leave."

Fitz walked away, "Tell her that I love her. Tell her that nothing happened between Mellie and me. I would never do anything to hurt her."

That night Fitz went home and had a mini meltdown. His emotions were mixed between anger and sadness. He needed his boys. He needed a night out. He could not stay in the house that reminded him so much of her and Allie. He called up his boys and told them that he needed to get away.

He sat at the table in the club with Huck and Harrison. They watched him with concerned eyes. They had never seen their friend like this. He was slowly coming unraveled. He had yet to tell them what was wrong. Instead he kept drinking shot after shot.

After the fourth one, Huck finally asked, "What's going on, Fitz? What's wrong?"

Fitz had the drunk giggles, "She left me. That's what's wrong. I came home and she was gone. She left me a note that said, it's over. She couldn't even say we are over. No she said 'it' like our relationship was a disease or something."

Harrison asked, "Why did she leave?"

Fitz ordered another drink, "She left because she is a bitch. I gave her every fucking thing she could ever want. But that wasn't enough. All I asked was for her to stay away from the douchebag Cosby looking muthafucker Edison Davis. She tells me that I am trying to control her."

Huck looked at his friend, "She kind of has a point. You should trust her to be her own person. You should trust that she won't cheat on you."

"Fuck trust. I trusted Mellie and she still cheated on me. I am not about to make the same mistake twice."

Harrison took his drink from him, "Do you hear yourself? You had a great woman that was head over heels crazy in love with you. You are letting your silly hang ups with Mellie determine the way you treat her. She is not Mellie!"

His words hit Fitz in his heart. He was angry because she compared him to Jake but he was punishing her for Mellie's mistakes. He was trying to control her. He should have just simply trusted her like she trusted him. A trust that he may have ruined by her seeing him with Mellie.

He made a startling discovery, "I fucked up big time."

A voice out of nowhere said, "Yes you did."

Fitz turned to see Stephen standing looking down at him. He hadn't seen him since that day on the basketball court.

"What are you doing here, Stephen?"

Huck spoke, "I called him. You didn't look like yourself tonight. You needed your friends here, ALL of your friends."

Harrison pulled up Stephen a chair, "Plus I had him on the phone the whole time so he knows what's going on."

Fitz looked at his friends, "What am I going to do? I can't lose her but she won't even talk to me. She leaves tomorrow to go on a business trip with that guy. My last words to her were me telling her to fuck him. What if she does fuck him? What if she doesn't want me anymore? What do I do?"

Stephen looked his friend in the eye, "You win her back. You fight for her. I am not talking about jumping on the guy but you need to show her that you are sorry. You need to show her how much she means to you. You need to work overtime at proving your love to her. She might not forgive you. She may just need some time away from you but you give her whatever she needs. Even if you have to get on your hands and knees to beg for her forgiveness then that is what you do. If you truly love her like you say you do then it's time to stop playing childish games and show her."

Fitz wiped a tear from his eye, "Yeah, that's exactly what I need to do. I am not going to let her go that easily." He stood up from the table, "Can one of you take me home?"

Stephen grabbed his keys, "I got you man."

Fitz went home and crashed on the couch because he couldn't bear to sleep in his room alone. The next morning he called Quinn to see what time Olivia's flight was scheduled to leave. He needed to speak to her before she left. He rushed to the airport and waited outside the terminal for her to check in. It was at least three hours before her flight and he was sure that she hadn't checked in yet.

The car she was in finally pulled up with her and Edison getting out. Every part of him wanted to punch Edison in the face but this wasn't about him. He had to talk to Olivia and he couldn't do that if he gets thrown in jail for assault.

She was waiting for the driver to get her luggage out of the trunk when he walked up on her, "Olivia!"

She turned to see him standing there looking tired and exhausted. She wondered how many hours of sleep had he gotten. "Fitz, what are you doing here?"

Pleading with her, "I needed to talk to you and you aren't taking any of my calls. I had to do something."

Brushing hair from her face, "Fitz, I have a flight to catch."

He grabbed her hand, "Please, Liv just give me a few minutes."

She turned to Edison who was standing right by her, "I will be right in."

He nodded then made eye contact with Fitz as he walked inside the terminal.

She crossed her arms in a defensive stance, "What do you want, Fitz?"

He gave a weak smile, "I want you, Livvie. I have always wanted you."

Looking at him with disbelieving eyes, "You don't want me. You want to control me, Fitz. I am not Mellie. Clearly she is the one you want. Why else would you go to a hotel with her?"

He ran his hands through his hair in frustration, "It's not like that at all. Yes, I went to a hotel with her. I went with the intentions of fucking her. But I didn't go through with it. Nothing happened between us. It was not what it looked like."

She chuckled, "It's funny how when it comes to you nothing is ever what it looks like. I am just supposed to trust you that what I saw with my own eyes is not what it looked like. How come I am never extended the same courtesy? I danced one dance with Edison and you acted like I was fucking him in front of everybody."

His tone was soft and humble, "I know and I am sorry. I was wrong and I should have never put you in that position. I should have trusted you like you trusted me. Tell me what you want me to do and I will do."

She sighed, "I-just… I need some time away, Fitz. I need some time away from you. I…I need to know if this is something that I still want anymore. You hurt me yesterday. You promised that you would never hurt me but you did. Right now, I am just not ready to forgive you."

Fitz felt weak in his knees as she talked to him. He knew that it wasn't going to be easy to win her back. She was right, he had broken a promise, "um-" His voice sounded shaky, "I understand. Take all the time you need. I am going to be right here waiting for you."

Her heart went out to him. She wanted to hold him so badly. She wanted to feel his lips on hers as she has felt many times before. Right now, the images of him with Mellie keep clouding her mind, "I have to go Fitz."

He grabbed her hand, "Is it okay if I text you later to make sure you are ok?"

She smiled a faint smile, "Yeah sure. I'd like that."

She walked into the terminal leaving him standing there. She had smiled at him. He wanted more from her but he would gladly take a smile from her any day. He wanted her to stay but she needed space so that is what he was going to give her. Right now, he had four days to figure out how to get her back. It was going to be the longest four days of his life.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Liv sat on the plane next to Edison headed to Atlanta. Her emotions were all over the place. Her conversation with Fitz kept playing over and over in her head. She wondered if what he told her was the truth. Did he really not have sex with Mellie? Her head was saying he can't be trusted but her gut was screaming for her to believe him. He had never lied to her before. He had always tried to protect her.

She sat there in a trance for the beginning of the flight. Luckily, they were in first class so the seats were more spacious. She mostly looked out the window and stayed lost in her thoughts.

Edison broke her from her thoughts, "Is everything okay?"

She gave a quaint smile, "yeah, everything is fine."

He could tell something was off by her voice, "Is there something that you want to talk about? Are things okay between you and Grant?"

She sighed, "Fitz and I are taking a break. I got to clear my head before we can move forward. I don't even know if I want to move forward."

"Is there something I can do to help?"

"No, this is something that I need to do on my own." She grabbed her IPod and earbuds, "If you don't mind, I'd like to listen to my music for the remainder of the flight." She put her earbuds in and reclined her chair. She really didn't care to make small talk or hear his mouth during a four and a half hours flight.

She closed her eyes for what seemed like a few minutes and the next thing she knew, they were landing. They went to the hotel to unwind. Liv stretched out on the bed. It was already getting dark in Atlanta because of the time difference. Edison had asked her if she wanted to get some dinner but she declined. To be honest she was tired from not getting enough sleep the night before and she was feeling jetlagged. She decided to unpack her suitcase, watch TV and order room service.

After settling in for two hours, her phone dinged signaling she had a message. She smiled a little as she saw the message was from Fitz.

Fitz: **Just wanted to make sure that you arrived safely.**

Liv: **Yeah, I got in about two hours ago.**

Fitz: **How was your flight?**

Liv: **It was fine. I went to sleep. Didn't get much sleep last night.**

His heart hurt for her. Fitz: **Yeah, me either.**

She thought hard before she responded. Liv: **Can I ask you a question?**

Fitz: **You can ask me anything.**

Liv: **What stopped you from sleeping with Mellie?**

Within an instant her phone started ringing. He was calling her.

She answered, "Hello"

"Hi."

She released a breath that she didn't even know she was holding. "Hi."

He sounded humble and sincere, "I figured that it would be better to explain to you over the phone rather than through a text message."

She sat up in her bed, "Okay. So what stopped you?"

He sighed, "I-um-I was standing at the check-in desk with Mellie. The guy told me the price of the room. I opened my wallet to get out my credit card and I saw the picture of us that you had put in there. I saw the look on yours and Allie's faces and I couldn't do that to you. I couldn't lie to you and break the trust that you had in me. I couldn't jeopardize our family because I was being a selfish controlling asshole."

She listened to his words and wondered, "What would have happened if the picture wasn't there? Would you have gone through with it?"

He felt a knot in the pit of his stomach, "To be honest, I asked myself that same question. I don't know what I would have done. I would like to think that I would have come to my senses before anything happened. I don't love her. I don't think I ever loved her and I damn sure don't feel for her the way I feel for you. I can't dwell on the 'what ifs'. Bottom line is nothing happened and nothing will ever happen. I know that and she knows that."

Her voice was shaky, "Then why did you go there with her in the first place, Fitz?"

He wiped a tear from his eye, "I was angry at you for what you said to me and especially after seeing Edison coming out of your office. I was thinking. I had been drinking. She ran into me at the bar saying that she regrets breaking up with me. I saw it as an opportunity to make the anger and hurt I was feeling from you go away. That's what I did after she broke up with me. I started sleeping with all kinds of women trying to make the pain go away. But I didn't go through with it. I love you, Livvie. I will always love you."

She sat silently. She was really unsure of what to say next.

He sensed her hesitation and decided to change the subject, "What are you doing right now?"

She pulled the covers up over her body, "I am lying in this big bed watching TV waiting on room service. What about you?"

He chuckled, "I am in the man-cave watching _The Big Bang Theory_ eating your favorite ice cream from the tub."

She started laughing, "Wow that sounds so girly of you. I thought you said the only thing that will be watched in the man-cave is sports."

He laughed as he thought about when it said that to her, "I did but I guess you changed me. I really miss you and Allie. I wish I could see her."

Liv's tone became soft again, "Go see her, Fitz. I am sure that my parents will have no problem with you seeing her. They don't know what happened between us. They just know that I had to go out of town. If you want to see Allie, then go see her."

"You will really let me."

She sighed, "Fitz, you are her father. You're the only father she has ever known. I know how attached you two are to each other. I would never keep you from her. So yes, you can go see her."

He got choked up. "Thank you, Liv. You don't know how much that means to me."

They sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity. There was a knock at Liv's door, "Fitz, I have to go. That's probably room service with my food."

"Ok. Good night Liv. I love you so much."

"Good night, Fitz." She didn't say that she loved him back but deep down he knew that she did. She was just too hurt to say it. She hung up the phone and answered the door. It was room service. She settled back on her bed and turned the TV until she found _The Big Bang Theory_. She smiled as she thought of Fitz lying around eating ice cream watching her favorite show. She really missed him.

After dinner she showered and tried to get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow she would have to put on a brave face so no one would know that she felt like half of woman without Fitz.

X X

Fitz decided not to go to work the next day. Honestly he couldn't be around the office and think about Liv all day. He called her parents to see what time would be good for him to come and see Allie. They told him anytime would be fine because they had no plans for the day. So Fitz decided the earlier the better. He missed his Alleycat and he couldn't wait any longer to hold her.

He made it to her parents' house around 10 am. Her father greeted her at the door, "Hey, Fitz. Good to see you again."

They shook hands, "Good to see you too, sir."

As soon as she heard his voice, Allie started crawling to him. "Da-da! Da-da!"

He picked her up and swung her around, "Daddy's princess! You look good."

"Ma-ma! Ma-ma!"

"Mama is at work, Alleycat. Daddy missed you. I missed you so much." He hugged her tightly.

Alley started pulling at her ear a little as she babbled to Fitz.

Fitz asked Maya, "Why is she pulling at her ear?"

Maya looked at Allie, "I don't know. She just started that. Let me check and see if she is running a fever."

Maya went to her diaper bag and took out the thermometer that Liv left for her and took Alley's temperature. It was 102.1.

Maya felt her head, "She is slightly warm. She may have an ear infection."

Fitz grabbed Allie's jacket, "I am taking her to the doctor right now."

He and Maya loaded up Allie in the car and took her to the doctor's office. They sat in the waiting room for a few minutes. Allie was started to feel sick and cried as she laid her head down on Fitz's chest. He held her and tried his best to comfort her.

Maya looked at them for a minute before she spoke, "What's going on with you and Liv? She was upset the other day. She didn't tell me that she was but I know my daughter."

He kissed Allie's head, "I messed up big time. This client really likes her and he knows that she is with me but she has to interact with him for her job. I forbid her to have any contact with him. We had a huge fight and she left me."

Maya slowly shuck her head up and down, "So you tried to control her?"

He sighed, "Yeah, I did. I shouldn't have done that because now she is in Atlanta with the guy and I don't know what he is going to try with her. Every fiber in my body is telling me to fly down there and keep this guy away from her but I need to learn to trust her. I never knew loving someone would be this hard."

She put her arms around his shoulder, "Fitz, let me tell you something about Liv. She can take care of herself. She is strong. I watched her suffer after everything that happened with Jake. It took a lot for her to overcome that but she did. She came back stronger than ever before. She loves you and wants to be with you. But you have to let her be herself. Trust me; she will come back to you. Even if something happens between her and that guy, it doesn't mean that she doesn't love you. Liv's father cheated on me once when we were younger. Somehow our relationship survived and we came out better than before. All you can do is let her know that you love her and continue to try to be there for her. Eventually she will come back."

A nurse opened the door, "Allison Pope!"

They quickly walked back in the room and waited to see the doctor.

X X

Liv was invited to Coke's headquarters to sit in on one of their board meetings. They wanted her to get a feel for the place and their atmosphere. It was interesting and a change of pace from what she was used to seeing. It was a very relaxed environment and that was something that she could use right now.

Halfway during the meeting, the CEO, Ronald Gates stood up, "Everyone, I would like to introduce you to Ms. Olivia Pope. She is the Advertising Exec at Grant Advertising Agency in Los Angeles. She will be running our advertising campaign this year along with Mr. Davis. I want you all to make her feel very welcomed in our company and our city."

He looks at her, "Olivia, Edison has told us that this is your first time in our neck of the woods. So after the meeting today, we have arranged for you to tour our facilities as well as the Georgia Aquarium and our underground mall. Tomorrow, you are scheduled to visit Dr. King's Birth home as well as see where he is buried at his memorial museum. Then after that, there is a show for you to see at the Atlanta Opera house that I think you will thoroughly enjoy. The day after that is when we would like to talk to you about what direction you see our campaign going. We want you to get a feel of Atlanta so that you can convey it to the world."

Olivia took in his words, "I understand. I look forward to all of the tours."

After the meeting, she, Edison and their tour guide took a tour of the Coca-Cola headquarters. It was interesting to learn the history and worldwide significance of Coke products. She enjoyed the 4D video and the sampling station where you get to try all of Coke's worldwide products. Edison talked her into trying the Beverly and she made the scrunch up face that everyone makes. It is a horrible product. She bought a few souvenirs for her family and friends.

Next they toured the Aquarium where she touched a shark and stingray. She loved the different types of animals. They allowed her to go behind the scenes where she actually fed a beluga whale. It was an eye opening experience. She bought Allie a few stuffed animals. She couldn't believe how much she missed her baby.

They later went to the underground mall where she went shopping. Edison complained the entire time but she loved to shop. She even bought something for Fitz which shocked her but when she saw the shirt she knew he would look good in it. After all of that she decided to go back to the hotel.

She put her things away and looked for a takeout menu. This time she ordered Chinese Food to be delivered. As she settled in, she decided to call her mom and check on Allie.

Her mom answered on the second ring, "Hello?"

"Hey mom! I just called to see how Allie was doing."

Her mom sighed, "Allie is sick, baby. We took her to the doctor and they say she has an ear infection. They gave us some antibiotic and right now she is sleeping."

Liv stood up and started pacing, "Mom, do you need me to come home? I know how cranky she can get when she is sick and sleepy."

"No honey, she is fine. Fitz has been here with her all day and you know that she is a daddy's girl anyway. So she is calm and being well taken care of."

She stopped pacing, "Fitz is there? He has been there all day?"

"Yeah, he was the one that noticed she was pulling at her ear. He and I took her to the doctor. Right now, the two of them are passed out on the couch with her lying on top of his chest. It is the cutest thing in the world. I will have to send you a picture."

Liv felt tears in her eyes, "Thank you mom. I would like that."

"Baby she is fine. She is in good hands. If we need you then I will call you. I think I am going to make up your old bedroom so Fitz can stay here for the night because Allie doesn't want to let him go."

She wiped a tear and chuckled, "Okay, Mom. That sounds like a good idea. Call me if you need me."

"I will Liv. Take care of yourself."

"Love you mom."

"Love you too baby."

Liv ate her Chinese food and watched TV until she fell asleep. She woke up around one in the morning. She looked at her phone on the nightstand. She had a message from her mother and Fitz.

The message from her mother was a picture message that showed a sleeping Allie on Fitz's chest. He held her like always does anytime she sleeps on his chest.

The message from Fitz simply said: **I know you probably had a long day. I just wanted you to know that I love you and miss you.**

She looked at the time stamp and realized it was sent less than 30 minutes. She really needed to hear his voice. Next thing she knew she was dialing his number.

He answered on the third ring, "Hi"

"Hi."

He sounded concerned for her, "It's one in the morning where you are. Why aren't you sleeping?"

He always did worry about her, "I was asleep but for some reason I woke up. How is Allie doing? My mom told me that she was sick and you were staying with her."

Allie started babbling in the phone, "She is fine. She still has a slight fever and she will not let me put her down. She is super spoiled rotten but other than that she is fine. Do you want to see her?"

She smiled, "Yeah, I would love to see her."

Fitz decided to FaceTime her so that she could see Allie. Her screen displayed Fitz holding a smiling Allie looking at her.

Fitz pointed, "Mommy!"

"Ma-Ma! Ma-Ma!"

Liv started crying. She missed both of them so much. Fitz continued to make Allie talk.

"Tell mama we learned how to say bye-bye today. Show mommy."

Allie kept opening and closing her fist, "bye-bye."

Liv smiled through her tears as she waved at Allie. Fitz was overjoyed at the moment. He loved to make her smile.

Fitz told Allie, "Ok, Allie, let's blow mommy a kiss."

Liv started laughing when Allie put her hand to her mouth and blew her a kiss. Liv blew a kiss back and Fitz caught it placing it on Allie's cheek.

Fitz enjoyed the show Allie was putting on for Liv. "Show mommy how you give daddy a kiss, Allie."

Allie slapped her hands on Fitz's cheek and open-mouth kissed him on the lips. Liv screen shot that tender moment on her phone. She loved to see them together.

After her quick kiss, Fitz wiped his mouth, "We are working on less slobber next time."

Liv laughed as Allie clapped her hands. She wiped the tears from her eyes, "Thank you, Fitz. This means so much to me. I am glad that you are there for her."

"She's my daughter and she needed her daddy. There is no place in the world I would rather be right now except with you. We miss you, Liv."

"I miss you guys too. I even bought both of you something when I went shopping today."

He smiled at her, "How was your day?"

She smiled back at him, "It was tiring. They sent me on all of these tours so that I can capture the essence of Atlanta. I honestly think Edison is behind the whole thing so that he can spend time with me but I don't know."

Fitz thought carefully about his next words, "Well, I trust you and you are able to take care of yourself. If you feel that you are in an uncomfortable situation then leave. Don't worry about your job. I will take care of you if I need to. Don't feel like you have to be somewhere or do something you don't want to."

She smiled as Allie kissed Fitz on the cheek, "I see someone is trying to take my place."

"Don't get jealous. She loves her daddy. But you will always be the number one girl in my heart."

She laughed when Allie made a mean face at him. "I think she is mad at you."

"She will get over it." He studied Liv's face, "You look exhausted."

"I am."

"Get some sleep and take care of yourself. I am going to stay with her until the morning then I am going to work for a few hours. Just give me a call tomorrow whenever you get time."

She blew a kiss at them, "Ok. Goodnight Allie."

"Tell mommy bye-bye."

Allie opened and closed her fist, "Bye-bye. Ma-ma. Bye-bye."

Liv waved back, "Bye-bye, baby. Take care of daddy. I love you guys."

"We love you too, Livvie. Good night."

The screen went blank as she ended the call. She looked at the picture she had screenshotted of Allie kissing Fitz and silently cried. She missed them so much it. She began to wonder what the hell she was doing in Atlanta. She could be home with her sick child. But she had a job to do and she was determined to finish it.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Liv took a tour of the Dr. King Memorial. She loved history and was in awe at how it was preserved. She loved the tour of his birth home. She listened as the park ranger gave them the history of the house and the surrounding neighborhood. To actually see how and where he grew up was so surreal.

After that she saw where he was buried in the middle of a fountain. Buried next to him was his wife, Coretta. She had a look of wonder in her eyes.

Edison stood next to her, "You know they had to remodel this burial site to place her next to her husband."

Liv looked at him, "After all those years apart, they are finally together. It is remarkable."

"It is."

Liv looked back at their graves and wondered out loud, "What really amazes me is the fact that she never remarried. As far as we know she never dated again. He was her one true love. It makes you ask yourself, how many chances at love do we actually get? How many true loves will we ever have? To me, your true love is the person that all other men or women will have to measure up to. Your true love is the person who breaks the mold of what you thought love is supposed to be. True love is something everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. It is amazing and breathtaking when you find it."

He responded in a somber voice, "I guess you are talking about Grant. I guess you believe that he is your true love."

She rolled her eyes at him, "What I believe regarding my personal life is none of your damn business." She turned and walked away from him.

He followed behind her and continued to talk, "You think he really loves you. You gave that man a child and he still refuses to marry you."

She turned and stopped him in his tracks, "You really don't know what the hell you are talking about."

"Oh, really. You have family photos on your desk. You have been looking at a picture of the two of them all day. You have a mixed race child that looks exactly like him. What do you have to say about that?"

She stared him down, "My grandma used to say that if you feed a child long enough they may start to look like you. The next time you want to talk to me about my life, the least you can do is to get you facts straight."

Liv hailed a cab and went back to the hotel. She refused to spend one more minute with him.

X X

Fitz was in his office doing some work when his father knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Big Jerry stood in the doorway, "Hey, Son. I just came to check on you. You weren't here yesterday. Lauren said something about you were at the doctor's office."

Fitz looked up from his paperwork. This was the first time his father had shown some concern for him in a long time. "Yeah I am fine, Dad. Allie is the one who was sick. Since Liv's out of town, I stayed with her."

His father sat down in the chair across from him, "Okay. How is she doing?"

"She has to be on medicine for ten days but hopefully she will back to her old self really soon."

Big Jerry looked at Fitz for a minute, "I am very proud of you son."

In all of his life, Fitz had never heard his father say that to him. "T-thanks Dad."

"Liv is a fine woman. Whatever the circumstances are behind this child and her father, I am glad that she has you. It takes more than biology to be a dad. I had to learn that the hard way. I am proud of you for stepping up and taking responsibility for the baby. Most men would have easily said it's not mine so why should I bother. I guess you aren't like most men. You are a Grant and I am proud to call you my son."

Fitz stood up and walked around his desk towards his father. His father stood as he approached and they hugged for the first time since his mother died.

"I love you dad."

"I love you too Son." Big Jerry pulled back and turned to walk out of the office. When he reached the door, he looked back at Fitz, "Let me know if you, Olivia or my granddaughter need anything."

Fitz smiled, "I certainly will, dad."

Big Jerry left the office as Fitz tried to grasp what had just occurred. He sat down at his desk and tried to finish what he was doing. His mind often wondered to Olivia. He wanted to call her so badly but he promised to give her space.

He took out his phone and sent her a text message: **Love you with all of my heart and soul. If I need to then I will wait forever for you.**

X X

It was around 5 pm in Atlanta. Liv was supposed to be getting ready to go to the Opera. She laid her dress out on the bed and jumped into the shower. She really didn't want to go because she actually hated the opera and she no longer wanted to be around Edison Davis. As the water hit her body, her mind was flooded with thoughts of Fitz. It had been a while since they had sex and she missed his hands over her body. She missed the feel of his lips kissing her in places that made her moan. Before she knew it, her hand had slid down to her core as she started fingering herself wishing that her hand was Fitz's hand. She imagined him fucking her into oblivion. She wondered how she could go from the best to anything else. There was no one better than Fitz. When he fucked her, it felt like he was fucking her soul. She knew what it meant to have an outer body experience. Before she knew it, she had brought herself to a climax with her hand.

She washed her body and stepped out of the shower. She put her pajamas pants on with a spaghetti strap t-shirt. She was going to do her make-up when she heard her phone ding with a text message. It was from Fitz. She immediately had a smile on her face. She was about to text him back when there was a knock at her door.

She opened the door to find Edison dressed in his tuxedo with flowers in his hands.

He looked perplexed, "You're not dressed? We should be leaving in 10 minutes. Why aren't you dress?"

She looked at her watch, "Sorry I took longer in the shower than I thought. But you go ahead. I don't really feel like going. I will probably just watch some TV and go over my presentation for tomorrow."

He looked at seductively, "Well maybe I could join you in your room. I am sure that we can find something to entertain ourselves." He leaned in to kiss her but she turned her head at the last minute making him kiss her cheek.

She pushed him away, "Edison, I don't think that is going to happen."

He turned completely around in frustration, "You really can't be this stupid. You are pining away for a man that doesn't want you. Men like him never married women like you."

She became offended by his words, "What do you mean-women like me?"

"Black women! All white men have that black woman fantasy. They all want to know what it is like to be with one. You are his black girl fantasy but in the end they always marry a white woman because they know they can't fulfill their destiny with a woman like you."

She pointed her finger in his face, "First of all, I am more educated than the average white woman. I am not looking for a man to carry me or marry me. I am self-reliant and independent. Second of all, I told you that my personal life is none of your damn business."

He rubbed his fingers up and down her arm as he stood few inches from her face, "So you would rather be the white man's whore than a black man's queen?"

A sudden rush of anger swept over her. Before she knew it, she kneed him in the groins sending to the ground in pain.

She stood over him, "I am no one's whore and don't you ever put your fucking hands on me again."

She slammed the door leaving him on the floor holding his groin thriving in pain. She started pacing as tears started running down her face. She was so angry that she wanted to scream. She started hyperventilating and breathing heavy.

She couldn't think straight. She needed someone to calm her down. She picked up her phone and started dialing.

After two short rings, she heard, "Livvie?"

Breathing heavy in the phone, "F-Fitz. I-I-I"

Fitz was sitting at his desk. He stood up when he heard her struggling to talk, "Baby, what's wrong?"

"He-He-put-"

He started pacing in his office, "Baby, I need you to calm down so that I can understand you. Please baby, just breath in and out with me. In and out."

Crying hysterically, "B-baby, I-I-I can't."

"Yes you can baby. Just listen to my voice. In and out. We will do it together. In and out. In and out."

She listened to him as she slowly got her breathing under control.

He felt better after he heard her breathing slowly, "That's it baby. I am right here. I am not going anywhere. Take your time."

She finally calmed down enough to talk, "I-I'm ok baby. Thank you."

"Livvie tell me what happened."

"Edison. He-um-he tried to kiss me. Then he told me that I was nothing but your black whore."

He slammed his fist on his desk, "I will kill him. I am on the next plane-"

She stopped him, "No, Fitz. I am fine. Believe me, he will be walking funny for the next few days."

He was confused, "What do you mean?"

"Well he touched my arm and I kneed him in the groin. I don't think he will be coming near me anytime soon." She chuckled.

Fitz sat down in his seat trying to wrap his head around what she just told him. "Baby, what do you need me to do?"

She wiped her tears away, "You've already done it. I was upset and I needed someone to calm me down. You did that baby. I just needed you. I am fine now. I needed to hear your voice. I am sorry. I should have listened to you and stayed away from him."

He smiled, "No, you have nothing to be sorry about. I put us in this position. I am the one that is sorry.

"Fitz, I love you so much. I need you. I don't want to be without you."

He had the biggest smile on his face, "Baby, come home. Let me take care of you."

She groaned "I have my presentation tomorrow. I need to finish this. I won't let him ruin what I have worked so hard for. I am stronger than that."

He sighed, "Ok how about we compromise? You do your presentation but I am changing your flight so that you can come home as soon as the meeting ends. I will send a car service for you so you don't have to ride with him. They will take you to your meeting and then the airport. I will pick you up when your plane lands. By this time tomorrow you will be in my arms."

She closed her eyes and smiled, "That sounds like heaven."

"I will get on it right now. Try to get some rest and I will have Lauren email you the flight change information. I love you baby. And I will see you tomorrow."

"Can't wait."

She hung up the phone and packed her things. She wasn't scheduled to leave for another two days but she needed to be with the man she loved. She talked to her mom later and checked on Allie who was doing much better. She called Abby to talk to her and update her on the happenings in her life. Finally, she prepared for her presentation and went to sleep. This time tomorrow, she will be with Fitz. That's all that mattered.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The next day Liv left the hotel early to avoid running into Edison. Fitz kept his promise and called her a car service. The driver put her luggage in the trunk of the car then took her to Coke Headquarters. She was one of the first ones there as she was eager to get it over with. She kept looking at pictures in her phone of her, Fitz and Allie. She would smile to herself knowing that she would be home soon.

Edison was one of the last ones to walk into the office. He walked with a slight limp and Liv gave a slight smile admiring her work. She never looked his way or made eye contact with him. When they were ready, she gave her presentation.

They were highly impressed with the type of campaign she envisioned. She showed them how working with Grant Advertising would be mutually beneficial to both companies. If they went with her campaign then they would both make tons of money.

After she was done, they gave her a standing ovation. The board members shook her hand and said that they looked forward to working with her.

After the meeting was adjoined, they asked her out to lunch.

She looked at her watch, "I would love to but unfortunately I need to get to the airport."

She quickly gathered her things and left without looking Edison's way.

After she made it to the airport and checked-in, she decided to call Fitz.

"Hi" he answered at two rings.

"Hi"

Concerned, "Where are you?"

Staring out the window, "I am at the airport. I got out of there as fast as I could."

He could hear the anxiety in her voice, "You will be home soon and this will be all behind you. I will be waiting at airport for you."

Fear in her voice, "You promise?"

"I promise. I will take care of you."

"I love you Fitz."

"I love you too, Livvie. Everything will be alright."

"Ok."

"See you when you get here."

Liv hung up the phone. She was over-anxious to get home. With Fitz, she felt safe. He was her rock. He was safe haven. She had another hour to wait for her flight so she decided to grab a bite to eat since she skipped breakfast this morning.

Once the flight arrived, she was one of the first ones to board because she was in first class. The four hour flight was uneventful other than a little turbulence. Liv tried her best to relax but she just couldn't. She felt some relief when the plane landed.

She exited the plane and headed towards the baggage claim area. As she took the escalator down, she saw Fitz standing by the carousels with a sign that said 'Love of My Life' in his right hand and flowers in his left. She was overcome with emotions that she started crying.

Once she stepped off the escalator, she ran and jumped into his arms.

He held her as tight as he could while she cried on his shoulders. He kissed her cheek as she pulled back her face then he kissed her mouth. It had been ages since he felt his lips on hers. He didn't know how much he missed kissing her until that moment. The kiss deepened as they both were caught up in the moment.

She pulled back when she remembered that they were in public. She wiped her eyes and smiled as she saw her lipstick on his lips.

"These are for you." He handed her the flowers.

Sniffling, "Thank you. They are beautiful."

He stroked her face, "Not as beautiful as you." He gave her a quick kiss then they went to retrieve her luggage.

He escorted her to his Rover and opened the door for her. He put her luggage in the back. He got in the car and as he started driving, he took her hand into his giving it a kiss. That was the moment she felt herself finally relax.

When he hit the interstate, she asked him, "Where are we going?"

He kissed her hand again, "We are going home."

She sighed, "Fitz, I don't have any clothes there remember. I took most of my stuff back to my house."

He gave her a sly smile, "We will get your stuff tomorrow but in the meantime, I had a personal shopper go and get you some things. They are waiting for you at the house. You will find everything you need and then some."

She leaned her head on his shoulder, "Fitz, you didn't have to do that."

"Yes, I did. I would do whatever it takes to keep you at home with me. Today, I don't want to share you with anyone. We have a lot of making up to do."

Silence filled the car. Liv was the first to break it, "It hurt. When I saw you with her, holding her hand, and she was leaning on your shoulder, it hurt me. _You_ hurt me."

Fitz swallowed a lump in his throat, "I know, baby. I am so sorry. I will apologize to you for the rest of my life if I have to. Whatever you want me to do, I will do it."

She looked out the window and turned back to him, "Ok. I don't want you to see or speak to her again."

"Done." He picked up his cell phone. Found 'Mellie' in his contacts and pressed delete. "Anything else?"

She was shocked at how easy that was. She was content with that for now.

They kept the conversation light as they talked about Allie and her parents. They would pick Allie up tomorrow but today was just for them. They needed a couple's day.

They made it to the beach house in good time thanks to light traffic. Liv noticed a strange car in the driveway when they pulled up.

When they walked in the house, Juanita greeted her, "Miss Olivia, it is good to have you back."

They hugged each other, "It's good to be back. Whose car is in the driveway?"

Fitz smiled, "That is your surprise." He led her to the master bedroom where a masseur was waiting with a massage table. "Liv, this is Helga. She is going to give you a massage."

Liv shook her hand.

Helga spoke with a Greek accent, "Pleased to meet you. First I need you to take a shower. You will find everything you need waiting for in the bathroom. There is a bathrobe in there as well. When you come out, you will lie on the table and I will massage all your stress away."

Liv looked at Fitz and smiled. He nodded his head. "Ok, I guess I will take a shower."

Fitz gave her a kiss, "I will be downstairs. You have clothes in the closet and your drawers. So change into something nice when you are done."

Liv went into the master bathroom while Fitz went downstairs to the kitchen. Juanita was finish making a picnic basket.

"Mr. Fitz, I believe that I have everything ready for your picnic."

He leaned on the counter, "Thank you. I hope she likes it."

"I am sure she will as long as you don't mess it up again."

He frowned up his face like he was confused, "What do you mean by that?"

She spoke almost in a whisper, "It means that I ain't no fool. I've seen the way you been around here mopping for days while she was gone. I make the beds remember. I've seen her side of the closet empty. I'm no fool. Business trip, my ass. She left you. She left you because you did something stupid and now you are trying your best to get her back. Like I said, as long as you don't mess up, then you will be fine."

Fitz shook his head. Juanita always gave it to him straight. "You're right. I messed up and she left me. I love her more than life itself. I took her for granted. I took for granted that she would always be there. I let my pride and ego get in the way. I almost ruined us. I almost pushed her to her breaking point but I didn't. I realized that none of this matters. All this money that I got, the company, my father, my friends, my cars, this house, none of this shit matters if she is not here with me. So trust me when I say, I won't mess up again."

Juanita looked at him and smiled, "Ok. Let's win your woman back."

X X

Liv enjoyed her massage so much that she fell asleep in the middle of it. When it was over, she walked into her closet to see hundreds of new clothing and shoes on her side. She stood in awe of everything. It was the right style and taste. She looked through her drawers to find new clothes folded neatly and in the right place. When she pulled out her underwear drawer, she found a note from Fitz that read, 'I promised I would buy you new underwear to replace the ones I ripped.'

She smiled as she thought back to that night before Christmas Eve. Her body shivered as she had a flash back. She went with the White Sleeveless Bandeau Floral Tank Dress. Since the flower print had red in it, she wore a red cardigan and red sandals.

It was already four in the evening. As Liv made her way downstairs, she could hear noise coming from the kitchen. When she walked into the kitchen, Fitz was coming back in from outside.

"Hey, beautiful. I hope you found everything to your liking."

She blushed, "Yes, it was nice. Thank you for everything."

He walked over to her and put his arms around her waist, "No need to thank me. I will do anything for you."

Juanita came back in the door and stopped when she saw them sharing an intimate moment. Fitz turned to her and she gave him the thumbs up sign. Then she said, "Well, Miss Olivia it's good to have you back home. If you don't need anything else, I am going to head out for the day."

They both gave her a smile as she grabbed her purse and left.

When they were alone, Fitz pulled her tightly towards his body. He rested his forehead on hers. She lightly threw her arms around his neck as they shared this tender moment.

They stayed that way for minute as they breathe each other. Finally their lives had purpose and meaning again. They felt whole. They felt as one.

Fitz spoke softly, "I missed this."

She matched his tone, "Me too."

He squeezed her tighter, "I promise I am never letting you go again."

"In that case, I promise I am never leaving again."

"Deal."

She smiled thinking back to when he used to say that to her.

He took her hand and led her outside. "How was your massage?"

Gleefully, she replied, "It was amazing. I needed that so much. You wouldn't believe how stressed out I was."

"Good. I needed you to be relaxed so we can enjoy ourselves."

They walked out onto the beach where there was a blanket laid out for them with all types of food and O'Dourves. Liv was shocked to see the spread that was out before her.

"Oh my god, Fitz. What is all of this?"

Holding her hand, "This, my love, is romantic picnic on the beach. I wanted to do something quiet and special just for you. As you can see, I got all of your favorites. So please join me on the blanket."

He sat down pulling her to sit in between his lap. She leaned her back into his chest as they looked out into the ocean. It was a beautiful view.

Fitz slowly emptied out the rest of the things from the picnic basket. He poured two glasses of red wine. He handed one to Liv, "A toast: To us and our new beginning."

They sipped the wine and Liv was impressed with the smoothness of it. "This is good wine."

He smiled a big cheesy smile, "Glad you like it. I wanted it to be special."

She snuggled up into him some more. He hand fed her everything she wanted to taste. He had her favorite chocolate covered strawberries. He had her mom bake her favorite pound cake. He made sure that there was nothing that she was allergic to. He knew she loved bacon wrapped chicken but most places put cream cheese on it. He had some specially made her without the cream cheese because she is allergic to cream cheese.

They sat and enjoyed everything. Fitz would steal kisses on her neck. He missed kissing her neck. By the time they were finished, they had eaten most of the food and drunk all of the wine. It was around 6:30 and the sun was starting to go down.

Fitz hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear, "You wanna take a walk on the beach with me?"

"Yeah, I would like that."

He got up from behind her and pulled her to her feet. He gently stole quick kiss before taking her hand in his. They walked along the shoreline of the beach watching the sunset in the distance.

They walked in silence holding hands for a few minutes. Liv looked out at the view then she turned to Fitz, "This is nice. I love this. It makes me wonder why we never did this before."

He put his arms around her shoulder, "Because I thought just telling you how much I loved you was enough. Now I know it's not. I need to start showing you. Things are going to be different for us this time. Especially starting right now."

He stopped walking and took both of her hands into his. She gave him a faint smile and that was all the courage he needed. He looked into her eyes and spoke from his heart. "Olivia, my Livvie, I love you so much. The thought of not being with you ever again nearly drove me insane. You are my world. You are my life. You are my everything. I am nothing without you. My future is with you and that future starts now."

He pulled a box out of his pocket and got down on one knee. He opened the box to reveal a four stone square brilliant diamond engagement ring. Liv's mouth opened in awe as she started to fight the tears that were swelling up in her eyes.

Fitz looked up at her, "I was serious about what I said in the shower. From now on, I want every holiday to be Grant Family Holidays. But I also realized that you deserved more than a half-assed proposal while we were both naked in the shower. You deserve this. You deserve a man who will pledge his undying devotion and love for you until the end of time. This ring is very special to me. This was my mother's engagement ring. She gave it to me when she was dying. She told me to give this ring to the woman that I couldn't live without. I put it in my safe deposit box and never looked back at it until the other day. Her words finally made sense to me. I can't live without you. I never want to live without you. My life without you is worthless. You are it for me. So I am on my knees again, asking you, Olivia Carolyn Pope, will you be my wife?"

It was no use in trying to hold back the tears. They were flowing like Niagara Falls. Her mind thought back to everything they had experienced over the last few weeks. She wasn't sure if they were ready for marriage. They still had things to work on. Then her mind went back to her visit at the King Memorial. Sometimes you only get one shot at true love.

She looked at him with tears in her eyes, "Yes."

He smiled, "Yes?"

She shook her head, "Yes, baby. I will marry you."

He places the ring on her finger and it was a perfect fit. He jumped up putting his arms around her lower waist and picked up swinging her around. He was ecstatic. He could hardly contain his emotions. She grabbed his face and brought her lips down to his. He opened his mouth giving her tongue access to what she had been craving- _him_.

They kissed for what seemed like an eternity. He finally put her back down on the ground as she pulled away from his face.

He ran his fingers across her lips, "I will spend the rest of my life showing you how much you mean to me."

She smiled at him, "I will spend the rest of my life loving you unconditionally."

They both smiled because this was the moment, this was _their_ moment. Tonight nothing mattered but the two of them. The world would have to wait until tomorrow but tonight was all about them.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Fitz and Liv walked back into the house after cleaning up their mess on the beach. Liv couldn't stop looking at her ring and smiling. After they put away the remaining food and straighten up the kitchen, Fitz needed time to get his other surprise ready.

He stopped her in the kitchen. "Stay right here. I will be back in a few minutes." He ran upstairs while she walked around downstairs. She removed her shoes and cardigan as she admired the house. Everything was exactly the way she left it. She thought for sure that he would have changed something or thrown things away but it was like she never left. She took a picture of her ring and sent a text to Abby, ' **Engaged to Fitz! Will call you tomorrow!** '

As she sent it, Fitz came back downstairs with a rose in his hand, "For my beautiful fiancée!"

She felt all giddy inside, "Thank you, baby."

He extended his arm and walked her upstairs. He opens the door to the master bed room to reveal scented candles illuminating the room, rose petals on the bed with another bottle of wine sitting on the night stand.

"Wow, Fitz. This is amazing." She walked into the room as if she had never been in it before.

He closed the door behind them, "I wanted tonight to be extra special for us."

She turned to face him as he walked towards her, "I could get used to you spoiling me like this."

He put his arms around her waist, "Good, because I plan on spoiling you for the rest of our lives."

He pulled her lips to his. He ran his tongue across her bottom lips before gaining access to her mouth. He could still taste the wine from earlier on her tongue. She tasted so sweet. He cupped the side of her face as he walked her to the bed. She reached and started unbuttoning his shirt but he stopped her when she got halfway.

He moved and started licking and sucking on her neck, "Tonight I want to go extra slow. I want to take my time and show you how much I've missed you."

Getting lost from the sensations that were shooting through her body, "What did you miss about me?"

"I missed you. I missed your smile, your eyes, your laugh, your lips, your mind, your body and your soul." He stood her up and unzipped her dress letting fall down to the floor.

Looking her in the eyes, "I missed kissing you and touching you." He started kissing her again. She moaned in his mouth as she felt his hands roam over her body. He used his hands and unhooked her bra in the back.

He laid her down on the bed staring at her almost naked body. He will never grow tired of looking at her beautiful body. She looked like a goddess that should be worshipped. He was so caught up in her beauty.

"God you are so beautiful. Soon you will be my beautiful wife. How do you feel about that?"

She stared back at him, "I can't wait."

He leaned down, very careful not to put all of his weight on her, and resumed kissing her neck while massaging her breast. "I missed your breast and how they felt in my mouth."

He moved down her body and started sucking on her breast. Ecstasy was what she felt at that moment. All was right with her world. He was kneading on breast while sucking on the other. Then he switched. She gripped his hair as she ran her fingers through his curls. She wanted so much for him to be inside her right now. She was so wet. She was long overdue for a good fuck. She went two years without sex before she met him now it was killing her to go a few days without having him inside her.

He left her breast and started kissing her stomach. "I missed this stomach that will one day hold my child." His erection was aching to get out of his pants. As much as he wanted to release it, he knew that tonight had to be about her. He was the one that nearly destroyed them. He had to make it right.

He kissed down one legs and back up the other. Liv enjoyed every second of him pleasing her. His tongue, mouth and hands touched every inch of her body. He grabbed her laced underwear with his teeth and slowly removed it from her body.

He brought his mouth back up to face as he spread her legs. He took his hand and cupped her core. Looking into her eyes, "I missed this most of all. Don't ever take my pussy away from me again." He moved his face down in between her legs. He placed her legs over his shoulder then he inserted his tongue in her core.

Her back arched as he licked it slow and steady. He had a tight grip on her hips so that she couldn't move while he continued to assault her core with his tongue. He buried his face so deep that he had to come up for air to breath. She gripped his hair and clawed at his shoulder while he fucked her with his tongue. An orgasm shot through her body as she screamed Fitz's name.

He licked her essence before returning to her mouth. "You taste like heaven baby. I missed that taste." She loved the taste of herself on his tongue as she kissed him.

She sat up on the bed pushing him up off. He stood and removed his shirt while she worked on his pants.

He looked down at her as she freed his erect cock from his boxers, "Did you miss your dick?"

She looked up at him stroking his cock with her hand, "Yes, I missed it. Is it really mines?"

"It's all yours baby and I promise you that no one else will ever touch it but you." He threw his head back from her ministrations. "MMMM. Tell me where you want me to put your dick baby. I will put it anywhere you want me to."

She stroked him harder and faster than before, "I want it in my mouth. Can I have it in my mouth?"

Before he could answer, he felt his cock go in her warm mouth. "Fuck yes….that feels good…I love you baby."

She was bobbing and sucking on his cock. It was driving him insane. She started massaging his balls as she deep throated his cock. He was slowly starting to come undone. He grabbed her by her hair when it started to become too much for him. In his mind he wondered how did he get so lucky to find her. He pulled back out of her mouth when he felt that his orgasm was close.

After he was able to stop his pending orgasm, they scooted back up onto the center of the bed. He stood on his knees in between her slit. He teased her core with his tip. He loved that she was always wet for him.

"Fitz, stop-"

Before she could finish, he had entered her. He lifted one of her legs as he gave her time to adjust to his size because she was tight. He slowly started moving in and out of her. He was going at a pace that she could feel every vein with every stroke.

"Do you feel that baby? How does your dick feel?"

She was unable to answer. The only things that were coming out of her mouth were moans and screams.

"I love my tight pussy." He kissed her leg that on his shoulder, "Don't ever take my pussy from me again. Do you hear me, wife?"

She responded with a breathless, "Yes."

He lowered his body towards her face giving him deeper penetration. He picked up the pace as slammed harder into her core. She was clawing and scratching his back as she was overcome with pleasure.

"OOOOO…Fuck…Fitz… I'm cumin…"

"Cum for me, Livvie. Cum for your husband, baby."

"OOOO…Fuckkkkkkkk!" Her orgasm rushed through her body as her muscles tightened.

"Shiit, Livvie." That was enough to cause him to spill his seed in her. He released her leg and rolled to the side of her.

Their breathing was fast and heavy. He sat up and walked to the dresser. He brought back two bottled waters. "Here, I figured we might need these."

She looked at him, "Thank you baby. For everything."

He sat back down on the bed against the headboard. She finally mustered enough strength to move in between his legs. They both sipped on their water as they slowly caught their breaths.

He kissed her head, "So what's on the agenda next, future Mrs. Grant?"

She smiled at him, "I guess I have to tell my parents tomorrow."

He kissed her on the cheek, "Your parents already know."

She turned slightly to see his face, "What do you mean?"

He smiled, "When I spent the night with Allie, your mom cooked dinner. We were sitting around the dinner table and I asked them for your hand in marriage. I told them the minute I get you back, I am going to ask you. I called and told them that you were coming back so they knew I would ask."

"So they had no objections. Not even my mom who has an opinion about everything I do in my life."

He held left hand with the ring on it, "No, they just said that they would be proud to have me as a son."

She laughed, "Okay, so who else knows?"

He thought for a moment, "My dad, my sister, Cyrus, and Juanita. Oh and Allie. She gave her daddy some good pointers."

She laughed harder than before, "Okay, so since I am the last one to know. When is this wedding supposed to take place?"

"I was hoping we could do it next weekend."

She sat completely up and turned to face him, "Are you fucking serious? Fitz, there is no way I can plan a wedding in a week."

He took her hand, "Yes you can. We can hire a wedding planner. I can give you my credit card and we can rush order everything."

She started freaking out, "Ok, is there anything else I should know that comes along with marrying you?"

He closed his eyes to brace himself as it slowly came out of his mouth, "My father wants you to sign a prenup to protect my family's assets that are in my name."

She let out a manic laugh that kind of scared him. She scooted over to the nightstand and opened the bottle of wine. She poured herself a glass and downed it in one gulp. "This is great. My fiancée of a few hours wants to get married next week. Now his father thinks I am a gold digger." She let out another manic laugh as she downed another glass.

Fitz scooted himself to sit behind her. "Hey, nobody thinks you are a gold digger. The prenup will just protect my family's assets not mine. You are entitled to everything I own. The reason I want to marry you next week is because I don't want to wait forever for you to be my wife. I would marry you tomorrow if you let me. I just want a chance to make all of your dreams come true. Can we just sleep on it and talk about it in the morning?"

"Sure." She drank another glass before sliding under the covers. She looked at him in the eyes, "Baby. I love you and I thank you for this special day."

He kissed her, "You are so welcome baby."

"Good, now who is going to clean up all of these roses on the bed and blow out the candles?"

He laughed, "I guess I didn't think it all the way through, huh?"

He got out the bed and removed all the rose petals off the comforter. He blew out the candles and joined her back in the bed.

He slid behind her so that they could spoon. He kissed her on the cheek, "Sweet dreams, baby."

They both went to sleep. They experienced the best night of sleep either of them had had in a long time. They made it through the rough patch in their relationship. Now they just needed to conquer the next chapter: marriage.

X X

The next day, Liv and Fitz were sitting in the conference room at his lawyer's office. In front her were three separate documents.

His lawyer started explaining the documents to her, "Ms. Pope, this first document is a prenuptial agreement. This only protects the assets that are passed to Mr. Grant through his family. In the event of a divorce, you are still entitled to fifty percent of his assets and anything that is acquired during the marriage. This is not your typical leave with what you came with agreement. Mr. Grant requested that you be taken care of financially if you should divorce. You will receive two million dollars for each year you are married until you reach ten years then you will receive five million for each year after that. So let's say you stay married for 15 years, then you will receive $43 million dollars in the divorce. Are you following me so far?"

Liv shook her head yes. Then something in the document caught her eye, "What is this? What's a fidelity clause?"

"Ok, Ms. Pope, this fidelity clause simply states that if you are caught cheating or that the reason for the divorce is infidelity on your part then you are only entitled to 30 percent of the marital assets."

She looked at Fitz, "You _asked_ for this."

Fitz looked at his lawyer because he was just as shocked as she was, "No, I didn't ask for this. Why is this in there?"

The lawyer shrugged, "It is just something we always put in these types of agreement."

Fitz replied, "Take it out. I will not have her sign this with this clause in there."

"Yes sir. I will have it removed at once."

He moved that document out of the way, "Let's move on to the next one. This is an adoption petition for Mr. Grant to adopt your daughter and adding his name to her birth certificate as her father. Her name will officially be changed to Allison Melissa Grant. She will receive everything that comes with the Grant name such as trust fund and college fund as if she were his biological child. She will be sent to the best private schools and receive the best education that money can buy. In the event of your untimely death, she will be well taken care of."

Fitz saw Liv tensed up thinking about dying and leaving her daughter. He rubbed her shoulder, "Are you okay?"

She whispered, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Fitz looked at the lawyer and gave him a signal to move on.

"Ok, Ms. Pope this third document is a partnership agreement."

She looked confused when he said that, "What do you mean, partnership agreement?"

Fitz raised his hand to stop the lawyer from talking. He turned her to face him, "My dad wants us to run the company together as partners. When he turns the company over to me, he is going to be turning it over to the both of us."

"But Fitz, it's your company. You worked hard to get your turn at running it. You should run it by yourself."

He took her hand, "Baby, this was my idea. I want you by my side. I want you to be my partner in every sense of the word. You are going to be a Grant. Grants don't work for people, people work for them. You deserve to have everything that name entitles you and Allie to. I want you to sign it."

Liv started to panic. She jumped up, "I need to get some air." She ran out of there so fast that Fitz couldn't catch her. She walked out of the building and kept walking. She didn't know where she was going but she needed to get away. She finally stopped when she made it around the corner of the building. She started hyperventilating as she tried to catch her breath.

She took her phone out of her pocket. She needed to talk to her mom.

After a few rings, Maya answered, "Hello."

Still struggling to breath, "Mommy…I can't… do it."

Sensing the urgency in her voice, Maya became stern, "Liv, listen to me. You can do anything you put your mind to. You are strong and confident. I wish I was half as strong as you are."

Calming down a little but still struggling to breath, "He..wants..to..get..married. Everything…changing."

"Baby, life is always changing. You can't stay in the same place. As long as it is changing for the better then that shows growth. Don't be afraid to move forward. Listen to your heart, Liv. Listen to your gut. You always overthink things. You always panic but you are stronger than anything you face. Follow your heart. Don't be afraid to jump in with both feet."

Slowly her breathing started to regulate, "Thank you, mommy."

"Anytime baby."

She hung up the phone and walked back towards the front of the building. Fitz was standing in front trying to figure out which direction she went. He ran to her when he saw her walking back. He hugged her tightly.

He kissed her all over her face, "I thought you had left me again."

She could see the look of worry on his face, "No, I just needed some air."

"Look if you don't want to sign those papers then don't sign them. If you want to wait a few months or a few years before we get married then we can. We can do anything you want as long as you don't leave me."

She put her hands on the side of his face, "I want to marry you next weekend. I can't wait to become your wife. I promise you that I am not leaving you. So let's go back in here and get this over with so we can go and get our daughter."


	22. Chapter 22

Liv and Fitz were able to find a wedding planner that would plan their spectacular wedding within their limited timeframe-of course it was double her normal commission which Big Jerry gladly paid as his wedding gift to them.

Liv's office was moved to the tenth floor alongside Fitz. She started sitting in more budget style meetings that dealt with the day to day operations of the business. She only worked half days so that she could get the things that she needed to get done for the wedding. Her mother and Abby helped her find her wedding dress. It was simply and elegant. Abby was her maid of honor but Liv had one condition. David was not invited. She also found the perfect dress for Allie. True to his word, Fitz had given her his credit card to purchase anything that she needed.

Fitz purchased his tux and his father allowed them to use his ranch as the wedding venue. He had asked Stephen to be his best man since they had become friends again. The wedding was going to be a small intimate affair with close family, friends and few co-workers. When they met with the wedding planner, Fitz gave his input but ultimately he wanted this wedding to be Olivia's dream wedding.

Today is Thursday and the wedding is scheduled for sunset Saturday. Tonight is the night for their bachelor and bachelorette parties. Fitz is going to hang out with his boys while Abby is in charge of Liv's party.

Fitz walked into the house after working a full day with Allie on his hips. He opens the door and calls out for Liv.

"Bae!"

He listens but he gets no response. He hears noise coming from the kitchen and heads that way. He sees her sitting at the kitchen island listening intensely on the phone.

He speaks again, "Babe, what's going on?"

She holds up a finger to let me know to hold on. She returns to her conversations, "Ok, Tina, that sounds great. I will make sure that his father knows that the decorations will be set up tomorrow evening. I have approved the final proof from the bakery so that is taken care of. You are sure the Caters have my food allergy list as well as my daughters, right? Awesome! If you need anything else, just call me. If not, we will see you tomorrow at the rehearsal. Ok. Bye."

She hangs up the phone and turns her attention to Fitz and Allie, "Hey baby, sorry about that. I was just going over some last minute stuff with the wedding planner."

He walked over and gave her a kiss on the lips as she took Allie from his arms. "It's fine. Is there anything I need to do to help?"

Bouncing Allie on her knee, "No, I think everything is good. Thank you for picking her from daycare for me these last few days. I have been swamped"

He gave her a serious look, "Stop that. Stop thanking me for doing stuff for you. She is my daughter, too. So stop thanking for me for being her father. I don't like it when you do that. Okay."

She walked over to him and put her arm around his waist, "You're right. I'm sorry. I promise not to do it again." She kissed him softly on the lips, "I love you. You know that, right?"

He kissed her back, "I know. I love you too and I can't wait until you are officially Mrs. Grant."

She smiled at him, "Me either. I will be even happier when all of this stress is over and we can enjoy being us again."

"Well for right now just enjoy tonight with the girls and not worry about anything else. Saturday is our day and nothing or no one is going to ruin it."

She sighed, "You're right. I will mainly be worried about Allie being with your father tonight. Does he know how to take care of a baby?"

He kissed her forehead, "I know this is my father's first time keeping her without one of us being there but he wants all of his grandchildren with him tonight. I guess he is being extra sentimental lately. But if it makes you feel better, I will pay his housekeeper extra money to stick around longer to make sure that Allie is okay."

She smiled, "Yes, baby. That will make me feel much better. So where are you and the boys going tonight?"

"We are going to a burlesque show. I told Stephen no strippers or lap dances. I just want a night of hanging with the boys."

It was her turn to give him a serious look, "No fuckfests, right?"

He pulled her tightly towards him, "The only fuckfest I plan on having is you when I get home. I told you that all of this is yours and yours only. So you better be prepared."

She gave him a seductive smile, "If you can dish it, I damn sure can take it."

His voice dropped an octave, "If you didn't have my daughter in your arms, I would bend you over this kitchen island and fuck you right now."

"I guess I will have to take a rain check on that."

He chuckled as he walked over to the refrigerator to grab a bottled water while she put Allie on the floor and went back to her wedding planning notes. "So where is Abby taking you tonight?"

"Um-I don't know. She just told me to be ready by 7. She is coming to pick me up and to be prepared for an epic girl's night."

"Wow, Epic huh? So what does that consist of manicures and pedicures? What are you girls going to have a spa day? Epic? Yeah right?"

She threw her pen at him playfully while laughing, "You don't have to be condescending about it."

He picked up her pen and brought it back to her. He whispered in her ears, "I was going to be nice to you tonight but you've just unleashed the beast and for that you must be punished." He playful slapped her on the ass as he walked to the bedroom. He yelled at her, "It's on tonight."

She yelled back at him smiling, "We will see!"

X X

Fitz left before Liv because he had to take Allie to his father's house. He was happy to see that his sister's twins were already there. He paid the housekeeper a little something extra to keep a close eye on Allie and if he was needed then she shouldn't hesitate to call him.

He left there and drove to meet the boys at the show called the La-La's. When he arrived all the guys were already there which included Stephen, Harrison, Huck, Leo and his brother-in-law James Jeffrey. They all stood to greet him when he made it to the table.

Stephen spoke loudly, "The man of the hour is finally here. What took you so long?"

Harrison chimed in, "You know Liv had to lay down the ground rules on that ass. She got to keep him in check."

Everyone laughed as Fitz took his seat while Huck passed him a beer. "Actually no, I had to take Allie to my dad's house. Besides, Liv laid down the ground rules earlier. Trust me; I am going to be a good boy."

Stephen raised his beer, "To Fitz and his last few days of freedom."

They all raised theirs and toasted their good friend. They all watched the show while the beer kept flowing. It felt good to hang out with the boys and shoot the shit like they used to without the added pressure of trying to find a girl to fuck.

Fitz had about three beers while they watched various exotic performances. Harrison and Huck enjoyed it more than any of them. He laughed at the silliness of his friends. Leo and James just sort of blended into the group. During intermission, Fitz and Stephen walked to the bar to stretch their legs and get a glass of scotch.

While waiting for their drinks, Fitz playfully punch Stephen on the arm, "Yo, man. Thanks for doing this. You are an awesome best man."

"No problem, bro. It's the least I can do. I almost cost you your relationship, remember."

Shaking his head, "Yeah, I remember but I also remember you helping me save it as well. Why did you do that?"

The bartender brought their drinks. Stephen looked at Fitz and sighed, "I am going to tell you something but you have to promise to not think of me as a creepy stalker or something."

Fitz chuckled, "Ok. Now shoot."

Stephen took a sip of his scotch, "I saw you guys together one day when you were at the mall. You were pushing the stroller with the baby and she was holding some bags while holding your hand at the same time. You two were talking, smiling and laughing. You seem like you were in your own little world. My first thought was maybe she was using you. Maybe she was a gold digger. So I kept my distance and followed you."

Fitz almost choked on his scotch, "You followed us."

With a slight chuckle, "Yeah, I followed you. You guys went into a man's clothing store. I stood across the way and watched you in the window. She was picking out dress shirts for you. The baby must have started crying because you picked her and started bouncing her in your arms. Liv and the salesperson were shopping while you played with the baby. When you got the register, you tried to pay but she wouldn't let you. You gave her a kiss and I just-I was stunned. I have never seen you truly kiss a woman. I can count on one hand the number of times I saw you kiss Mellie and they looked nothing like that. You went to a few more stores before you sat and ate at the food court. I have never seen you look at a woman the way you looked at her. But what made me know it was genuine love was the way she looked back at you. It was the same way. So when I heard that you two had broken up, I knew that I had to help you get her back."

"Wow, man. I am stunned and a little bit creeped out."

They both laughed a little, "I know. But I want to apologize for what I did at the club. I will never do anything to jeopardize you relationship nor will I allow you to do anything stupid. So as your best man, it is my job to get you down that aisle Saturday so you can marry that beautiful woman of yours."

They shook hands and gave each other a bro hug, "Thank you, man. I appreciate it. Glad to have you as a brother."

They finished their drinks and walked back to where their friends were seated to watch the remainder of the show. After the show they went to a local club and had a few more drinks to party the night away.

Fitz finally made it home around 1 am. He was a little tipsy but not drunk. He walked into the house into the house in search of Liv. He missed her and wanted to hold her. Unfortunately after searching the whole house, he discovered that Liv had not made it home yet.

He called her phone but it went to voicemail after a few rings. He started to get a little worried. He called Abby's phone but it went to voicemail as well. He remembered that his sister was with them and decided to give her a call.

She answered on the third ring, "Hey, Trey."

Wherever she was, it was really loud because she could barely hear him and all he heard was noise and music, "Hey Em! Are you guys okay? I tried to call Liv but she's not answering her phone."

There was a pause, "Um-She-uh-she is kind of busy at the moment. I will tell her to call you when she gets a chance."

He didn't like the sound of that, "Busy. What could she be doing that is so important that she can't talk to her future husband?"

Just then he heard Abby in the background screaming, "Go, Liv!"

He started frowning his eyebrows, "Emily, where are you?"

She sighed, "We are in Vegas, Trey."

"VEGAS!" He started pacing in the living room. "You guys took my fiancée to Vegas. Let me speak to her!"

"I can't Trey. She is on stage right now."

His blood started boiling, "St-stage. Why is she on stage? What the fuck is she doing on stage? You know what? I am going to FaceTime you so I can see for myself."

She tried to talk him out of it, "Trey, I don't think that is a good idea. She is just having a little fun."

"NOW EMILY!" He hung up the phone and immediately FaceTime his sister.

Her face appeared on the screen. She looked nervous and worried. "Trey, I don't feel right about this."

"Show me now." He was huffing mad at the moment.

Emily switched her camera to rearview. He saw Liv on stage standing by a chair next to the announcer.

The announcer asked her a question before he spoke, "Ok, everyone we have Olivia on the stage. She is getting married on Saturday. Her friends got her a special VIP seating for this show. So we would like to show her how very important she is to the men of this show." He sat Olivia down in the chair, "Olivia, I present to you, "Thunder from Down Under" featuring the fabulous men from Australia."

One by one buff looking men came out in thongs and various outfits. They were touching and gyrating all over her body. Abby could be heard screaming along with a few other women at the table. Liv was embarrassed and shy at first but she slowly loosened up. A few of them took her hand and allowed her to touch their bodies.

When one of them sat on her lap and gave her a lap dance with her hands roaming all over his body, Fitz had enough.

"EMILY, GET HER ASS OFF THAT STAGE. NOW!"

Emily left the table and went into the bathroom. "Listen to me, Fitzgerald. I am not about to go on that stage and embarrass her because you are angry and jealous. That woman loves you. There is not a doubt in my mind that she loves you. She has spent the entire night talking about you and how much she can't wait to be your wife. But at the same time, this is her bachelorette party. She is allowed to have fun. She can touch any man that she wants. She can be with any man that she wants. Hell she can fuck any man that she wants. But she wants you. It's your job to give her something worth wanting. No woman wants a jealous controlling psychopath. Your job tonight when she gets home is to make sure that she goes to bed dreaming of you and not those guys on that stage. I am going back out there and enjoy myself with my future sister in law. I will text you when we are on our way back. Vegas is only an hour and a half ride. The show should be over soon. So you got time to calm down before she gets home. I will talk to you later." She hung up and went back to enjoy the show.

When Liv finally came off the stage, she and Abby took a few more shots of Tequila. Abby was right. Tonight was definitely epic. Abby had rented a party bus to drive them to Las Vegas. It was stocked full of liquor and wine. The guest included Abby, Quinn, Lauren, Emily, Sarah and Taylor who were old college friends of Abby and Liv. Fitz was right about the spa treatment. They all got manis and pedis. They went to the club at Planet Hollywood. Liv was shocked to see Usher performing Live on stage. The girls even danced with a few guys. Every time a guy would ask Liv for her number, she would show them her ring and let them know that she was engaged.

After the club they walked the strip to the Excalibur hotel where they were treated to a VIP showing of the all-male strip show called, "Thunder from Down Under." The show ended about 2 am. They all hopped back on the party bus headed back to LA. Liv was drunk and exhausted.

Abby was in rare form. She stood and addressed the girls, "Ladies, I hope you had a wonderful time tonight. This night was for my best friend who is marrying the man of her dreams on Saturday. I wanted to send her out with a bang and I believe I have accomplished that mission. So I want to thank you all for being a part of her special night. Drink up because we still have some liquor left. We will be taking Liv home to Malibu first before the rest of us return to LA. With that being said," Abby raised her glass, "Here's to my best friend and epic fucking night we just had."

They all screamed and raised their glass. Liv took one more shot before, she sat down in the corner to try and sleep some of her drunkenness off.

The bus pulled up at the mansion and Abby woke Liv up.

"Hey bitch, get your drunk ass up!" She fell over laughing.

Liv groaned as she opened her eyes to realize where she was. "Abby, don't get fucked up tonight talking shit." She told everyone goodbye as she slowly climbed out of the bus.

Liv looked at her watch and realized that it was four in the morning. She saw the garage was down and knew that Fitz was home but he was probably upstairs sleep. She felt a little better after getting two hours of sleep. She walked into the dark house that looked calm and quiet. She started to go upstairs but she needed some water in her system. She walked quietly to the refrigerator trying to make sure that her heels didn't make too much noise.

She opened the refrigerator door and grabbed a bottled water. She opened it and took a big gulp drinking half of it in one swallow.

She closed the refrigerator door and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Fitz standing on the other side of the door. "Shit, Fitz. You nearly gave me a damn heart attack. Next time announce yourself."

He didn't respond. He just stood there with a menacing look on his face. Before she could say anything else, he pulled her to him and attacked her lips in an aggressive manner.

Liv was caught off guard because everything was happening rather quickly. Before she knew what was happening, he had unzipped her dress and it was falling off of her body.

He grabbed her face roughly and his mouth hovered an inch from hers, "I believe you owe me a rain check from earlier. I intend to collect on it. You are going to be thoroughly licked and fucked right here on this counter. This is my show and you will do what I say. Do you hear me?"

She responded faintly, "Yes."

He snatched off her bikini underwear, "No, you say 'yes sir'. Do you understand me?"

She whispered, "Yes sir."

He gave a sly smile, "Good." He kissed on the mouth allowing his tongue to enter while palming her exposed ass cheeks. He moved his mouth to her neck and she moaned from the intense pleasure he was giving her.

He lightly spanked her on her ass. She moaned louder. He continued to kiss her as he whispered in her ear, "You like that? I told you that I was going to punish you. You've been a very bad girl." He spanked her again a few more times.

He picked her up and put her on the kitchen island and spread her legs, "I have been waiting all day for my pussy to come home." He kissed the inside of her thighs while she lay on her back on the counter. He wasted no time burying his tongue in her core. It was pure torture and pleasure. He showed her no mercy as his tongue went deeper inside her wet pussy.

She screamed and moaned while gripping his hair. The pleasure was too intense. It was nothing like she had ever experienced before. He inserted two fingers in her core and continued his assault on her clit. She came with a massive orgasm that shook her body. When he finished licking all of her essence, he pulled her from the counter without allowing her to catch her breath.

He dropped his pajama pants and grabbed his cock in his hand. He looked at her with intense eyes, "Turn around and grab that counter."

As she slowly turned, he lightly spanked her ass. "I love your ass. I love everything about you." Once she got into position, he spanked her again.

She gripped the counter as he pushed her body forward exposing her ass for him. He place kisses on her back while he lined his cock up in her core. He thrust inside of her making yell from the force.

He spanked her again, "Shut up. This is your punishment. You are going to take this dick until you can't take anymore. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

He grabbed her hair and starting fucking her roughly. He pounded her pussy harder and harder with each thrust.

"Oh, Fiiiitz!"

Spanking her again, "Yeah, this is mine. You are going to be my wife. Right baby?"

Trying to maintain some composure, "Yes, sir." Her orgasm was building and she couldn't hold it any longer. "I-I-I'm cumming!"

He started fucking her as hard as he could, "Cum for me baby."

That was all she needed to take her over the edge. She really began to pant and breathe heavily. She silently prayed he would have mercy on her and finish but she knew that he was not done with her yet. He was right. She had unleashed the beast.

He pulled out of her. He picked her up and carried her into the living room laying her on her back on the couch.

He climbed on top of her and gently reentered her core. She had expected him to continue his assault on her but surprisingly he went at a much slower pace. He slowly kissed her allowing her to taste herself on his tongue.

He pulled back from her mouth and started sucking on her breast. She moaned and clawed at his back as his thrust kept getting deeper and deeper.

He placed his face over hers, "Do you feel that baby? I love making love to you. Do you feel how much I love you? I want to love you for the rest of my life. You are mine and I am yours."

His words were speaking to her soul. She was in a state of pure euphoria. He hit the right spot a few more times before another orgasm hit her bringing him with her. He spilled his seed inside of her.

They lay there breathing heavy for a few minutes. Fitz slowly pulled out of her and rolled to her side fitting both of them on the couch. He caught his breath and kissed her head, "Are you okay, baby? Did I hurt you?"

Slowly catching her breath, "No-No baby. I am fine. At one point, I thought you were trying to kill me."

They both chuckled. He rubbed his fingers over her body, "No, I just missed you all day. I wanted to show you how much."

She turned to face him, "If you missed me like that, I may have to stay gone more. That was baby making type sex. Glad I am getting a refill on my birth control next week because if we keep going like that, we are definitely going to make a baby."

He got serious, "What if that's not a bad thing? What if we do make a baby?"

She stared into his eyes, "What are you saying, Fitz?"

"I am saying what if you don't get your refill. I am saying I want to have a baby with you. Allie is almost a year and it's not like you will get pregnant right away but I want us to try to make a baby."

She kept looking to see if there was any doubt in his eyes but she found none, "You are serious? You really want a baby."

"Yes, I do." He kissed her lips. "What do you say?"

She smiled at him, "Ok. Let's make a baby."

He had the biggest smile on his face. "I love you so much baby."

She kissed him, "I love you too. But can you do me a favor right now?"

"Anything."

She started whining, "I can't walk. Can you carry me to bed?"

He laughed as he picked her up and carried her to bed. They only had a few hours to sleep because soon they will have their rehearsal dinner. But right now, they would just enjoy the moment and the few hours of sleep in each other's arms.


	23. Chapter 23

Olivia woke up a few hours later with a massive hangover. She felt like she had been hit by a car. Between her awful headache and soreness from her body, she couldn't move. She slowly peeled her eyes open and tried to reach for Fitz but he wasn't there. She turned her head to find his side of the bed empty.

She turned her head to the other side towards the door just as it was opening to see Fitz coming into the room carrying a glass of orange juice.

He stood over her smiling, "Hey sleeping beauty! How do you feel?"

She groaned, "Like shit. Remind me never to go out with Abby anymore. I can't fuck with her."

He laughed as he sat on the edge of the bed, "Yeah that epic night is hell to pay for in the morning. But never fear. Your loving soon to be husband is here to save the day. I brought you some orange juice and some Aleve for your headache because I know you have one. While you are taking those, I will run you a warm bubble bath. How does that sound?"

She smiled at him, "Like heaven."

She sat up and took her medicine while he ran her some bath water. A few minutes later he emerged from the bathroom, helped her get out of bed and helped her get into the tub.

Once she was in the tub, she looked at him, "Are you going to join me?"

"If you want me to, then yes."

He stripped out of his pajama pants and climbed behind her in the tub. She leaned her back into his chest.

He kissed her shoulder, "Are you feeling any better?"

She sighed, "A little bit. My body is still sore."

He smirked, "Yeah, sorry about that. I got a little carried away."

She rubbed his knee, "It's fine. I kinda enjoyed it. Tell me about your night with the boys."

He pulled her tight to him, "It was good. The show was nice. It was a bunch of half- naked women but it was tastefully done. Harrison and Huck acted like complete fools. Stephen and I had an interesting talk. We all drank and went to a club afterwards to drink some more. I got home around 1 and I stayed up waiting for you."

"What did you and Stephen talk about?"

He started massaging her shoulder, "I never told you this but when you left me, I asked my friends to meet up with me at a club. I just wanted to stop the pain that I was feeling but Stephen showed up and talked some sense into me. He made me realize that I had messed up and I needed to do whatever it took to make it right. I asked him last night what made him want to help me. He told me that he saw us in the mall one day and knew that we were in love. He is determined to get me to the altar tomorrow even if it kills him."

She smiled, "I am glad that you have your friend back. True friends are hard to come by these days."

"Yeah." He paused, "So tell me about this epic night that had you out until 4 in the morning and waking up with a hangover."

She chuckled, "Well, my best friend is a fool as well. She was determined to give me a big send off. She kidnapped me and took me to Vegas. I am not going to tell you every detail of what happened last night but there was a lot of drinking and partying."

He whispered in her ear, "Were there any male strippers? If so, did you participate?"

She turned around to face him and put her arms around his neck, "There were some strippers involved in our night. I did participate but trust and believe, they have nothing on you. You are it for me. Never doubt that or my love for you.'

He started kissing her slowly. It was quick kiss that turned into something deeper. His hands roamed her body before gripping her ass.

She pulled away first, "Baby, as much as I want you right now, my body can't take it. We need to get out of this tub and get started with this day. We need to go check on the decorations and prepare for the rehearsal and dinner. Plus if you want sex tomorrow night then I need to recover today. Okay?"

He gave her a quick kiss, "Okay. Let's drain the water so we can shower and get started on this day."

They took their shower and got dressed. It was 11 am when they left the house. They rode together in Liv's Escalade to his father's ranch. Liv was staying with Abby because they wanted to be separated for the night and only see each other when Liv is coming down the aisle.

Liv kept her shades on but was happy that her headache was easing up some. They went over last minute details and arrangements on the way to the ranch. When they walked into his father's house, they were met with the joyful noise of their daughter and the twins.

Everyone was in the kitchen eating lunch. Emily and James were there as well. They were all sitting around the kitchen table talking and conversing.

Fitz spoke first, "Good morning my beautiful family!"

"Trey!" Everyone responded in unison.

Big Jerry got up and hugged both of them. "I heard you two had a great time last night."

Liv smiled, "We did. I hope Allie wasn't too much trouble for you."

He walked back to his seat, "Nonsense. My granddaughter has been an angel. She played with all of her new toys that I had gotten for her. I put a crib in the room with the twins and I slept on the floor. We had a great time. She only woke up once but don't worry her granddad was like superman. I saved the day." He laughed as he looked at Allie sitting her high chair next to him, "Isn't that right, Allie?"

Fitz, Olivia, Emily and James exchanged looks with one another. Fitz looked at his father, "Okay, who are you and what have you done with my dad?"

Big Jerry laughed, "Nothing. I am still me but looking at the way you have changed made me think about the future. So I hope you two are ready to take over the business soon because I am ready to retire and enjoy my grandkids."

Liv looked at Fitz before she spoke, "Uh-When are you thinking about doing that? I mean, we are going away for a few days next week on a honeymoon but I still need some more training before I am thrust into the position of CEO. Can you give us a little time before you step down?"

Big Jerry thought for a moment, "Ok, since it is January, I will give you until April 1st. After that, you two will be in charge. Does that sound fair?"

Fitz looked at Liv and she shook her head, "That's fine, dad. We will be ready."

The doorbell rang, the maid went to answer it while Fitz and Liv grabbed some breakfast.

Tina, the wedding planner, entered the kitchen following the maid. "Well good morning everyone. I hope we are ready for a wedding. Olivia, I will be out back setting up the decorations."

Liv nodded, "Ok, I am on my way out there."

She moved to get up but Fitz stopped her, "Baby, finish your breakfast. I don't need you getting sick and passing out on me today or tomorrow."

She smiled at him. She loved that he worried about her. She stayed and finished her breakfast before finally joining the wedding planner outside. They walked the grounds where the ceremony and reception would be held. Everything was moving at a fast pace.

Her parents and Abby showed up for the rehearsal. Abby looked like shit but Liv knew that tomorrow she would be her divine self. Fitz's boys show up acting loud and rambunctious. They did two official run-through rehearsals before heading out to dinner. The dinner was held in a private room at the Four Seasons.

Fitz, Liv and Allie sat at the head of the table. They marveled in the site of the closest friends and family gathered around to celebrate their love. Liv caught her mother's eyes and was rewarded with a smile from her.

After everyone finished their meals, it was time for the maid of honor and the best man's speech. Abby stood up from the table. "Ahem, ok, all eyes on me."

Liv rolled her eyes, "Oh lord help us."

Everyone chuckled, Abby responded, "Anyway! This is where I give a speech about my best friend. I would first like to start off with how we became best friends. I met Olivia when we were both freshman at UC-Berkley. She was my roommate. After move-in day, her parents left her and she cried." Everyone said awe. "Yeah, yeah. My first thought was she was weak. I, on the other hand, was happy to get away from my parents and she was crying. We hung out a few times but she was always serious about her school work and all I wanted to do was party. So we were not the ideal roommates. What worked to my advantage was that she was so beautiful and guys always asked her out or invited her to parties. There was this one guy named-"

"His name does not matter, Abby!" Liv interrupted causing everyone to laugh.

Abby laughed, "Right, okay. Mr. No name was seriously crushing on Liv and invited us to a party at his frat house. We went and for the most part it was a great party. Liv and No name were hitting it off and I was drinking my weight in alcohol so it was a good time had by all. That was until I woke up in the hospital. At first, they thought it was alcohol poisoning but they later found out that someone had slipped something into my drink. Anything could have happened to me but Liv noticed something wrong and got me some help. I also found out later that she took no name's baseball bat and busted his friend's kneecaps for me."

Liv and Abby were both crying. "I knew then and there that she was a true friend and that she would also have my back. We have been there for each other ever since. I am honored to have been there for her during the lowest points in her life and humbled to be here during the highest points as well. She made me godmother to her daughter and allowed me to name her. So for those who haven't figured it out yet why Allie sounds so close to Abby, I am vain."

They all laughed. "Fitz, you are getting an amazing woman who has been through hell and back but she survived because she was meant for you. I wish you both nothing but love and happiness for the rest of your lives. Here's to my best friend, Liv and her future husband, Fitz."

Everyone raised their glasses and toasted to the couple.

Stephen stood up, "Wow. I-uh-I don't know if I can follow that. That was amazing." He cleared his throat, "I guess I can say that I have been friends with Fitz since we were in grade school. I have watched him grow from a boy to a man. Most people don't know this but I was upset at Fitz when he started dating Olivia. I felt like I lost a friend. He didn't want to hang out with us anymore. He didn't want to entertain our foolishness anymore. I was really upset about the fact that the one night he did agree to hang out with us, he brought Liv along with him. I didn't like it and tried to break them up. I did something stupid and Fitz called me out on it. I have since apologized to him but Olivia, I never apologized to you. I am sorry that I hurt you by trying to break you two up. I also want to say thank you. Thank you for loving my best friend and standing by his side through thick and thin. I know that he can be stubborn and pig-headed but your love has made him the man that he is today. He is not only my best friend, he is my brother. So tomorrow, I won't be sad because I am losing my friend or brother. No, tomorrow I will be celebrating because I am gaining a sister. Thanks to you guys, I believe in true love and I will not settle for anything less. Here's to love."

Everyone raised their glasses again and toasted to the couple. Dinner winded down after that. It time for Liv and Fitz to say their goodbyes to everyone and each other. Allie was spending the night with Liv's parents while she stayed with Abby. Fitz decided to spend the night at his dad's because he didn't want to stay at the house without Liv and Allie.

Fitz walked Liv to Abby's car so that they can have a final moment of privacy. He put his arms around her waist, "This time tomorrow we will be husband and wife."

She smiled, "Yes we will. It's hard to believe that this is where our journey took us. I just wanted a job that paid more money and I ended getting so much more."

He laughed, "I guess this proves we were meant to be."

"I guess so." She put her arms around his neck, "This is goodbye for now. The next time I see you I will be walking down the aisle towards you."

"You can't miss me. I will be the one looking handsome in his suit with a big smile on my face."

"I love you so much baby."

"I love you too. Goodbye, Olivia Pope."

She laughed, "I can't believe I am getting rid of my name."

He brushed a strain of hair from her face, "We agreed. No Pope-Grant. We will be Grants. I want you to be my wife, wear my name and carry my children."

She asked seductively, "And what do I get out of this deal?"

He gave her a sly smile, "A husband that will worship the ground you walk on and do whatever makes you happy."

She had a big smile, "Deal"

"Deal." He kissed her lips softly. The kiss deepened as their tongues wrestled in their mouths. He pressed her against the car and she pulled his face into hers. They got caught up in the moment and didn't hear Abby approach the car.

"You guys are going to give my car cooties."

Liv pulled away smiling, "Sorry Abby."

"Fitz, let her go so we can go home. We still have to sleep off the alcohol from last night."

Fitz rested his forehead on Liv's, "Ok, Abby." He breathed in Liv's scent one last time and whispered, "This is the last night I ever want to sleep without you."

"Me, too baby." She gave him a quick kiss, "Love you."

"Love you too, Livvie."

He opened the door for her and put her in Abby's car. He watched as they drove away. He got into Liv's Escalade and went to his father's house. He went to his old room and went to sleep. The sooner tomorrow came, the sooner she would be his wife. To him, that's all that mattered.


	24. Chapter 24

Liv woke up the next morning feeling unbelievable calm. She had expected to be nervous but she wasn't. The weight and the magnitude that today was her wedding day hadn't hit her yet. It felt good to be back at her home. This was the first home she had ever purchased. Her bedroom was filled with memories of Allie and Fitz. She made love to Fitz for the first time in this room. This was also the room that she cried in the night that she left him. She remembered hearing him call her name from the door but it made her cry even harder.

Now she was getting married to him. Their journey was unbelievable. She started to feel tears swelling up in her eyes. She had so much love in her heart for that man.

There was a knock on her door, "Liv, time to get up."

"Come in, Abby." By now the tears have started to run down her face.

Abby opened the door to find her best friend crying, "Hey what's wrong?" She walked over and sat on the bed with her.

Liv wiped a tear from her face and smiled, "Nothing. Nothing is wrong. For the first time in my life, everything is perfect."

Abby was confused, "Then why are you crying?"

"I was thinking about Fitz and the memories we made in this room." She paused, "He took care of me when I was sick. This is where we first made love. This is also where I told him about Jake and my relationship with him. This is where I told my mom that my relationship with him was nothing serious. And now, I am marrying him today. That feels amazing. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would end up marrying him."

Abby took her hand, "That's the way life is sometimes. You find love when you least expect it. You took the time to work on you to prepare yourself for him. I can tell that he loves you very much. He would move heaven and earth for you if you asked. I am sorry that life hasn't always been good to you. I am sorry that you had to kiss a lot of frogs before you found your prince. But looking at who you ended up with, I would say that it was worth it."

"Yeah, it was."

They hugged each other. Abby stood up from the bed, "Now enough with all of this mushy shit. You getting married today, Bitch!"

Liv laughed, "I hate you sometimes, Abby."

Abby cackled, "You know you love me. Now let's get you some breakfast because your fiancée would kill me if I didn't feed you today. He added that to my list of duties. So let's get up and get this day started."

Liv wiped her tears and got out of bed to have breakfast with her friend.

X X

Fitz woke up on edge. His nerves were all over the place. His main worry was Liv might back out or not show up. He knew that she loved him but he worried that she may question if their relationship was moving too fast. He walked around the ranch looking at the decorations for the ceremony and reception. He walked down by the stables to look at the horses that his father had. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear his father come up behind him.

"You're not thinking about running away, are you?" Big jerry asked jokingly.

Fitz chuckled, "No, never. I was trying to clear my head. My nerves are all over the place right now. I was thinking that I might go for a ride on one of the horses."

Big Jerry sat down on the bench in the stables, "I don't think that is a good idea. What if you fall or hurt yourself. Liv would kill you for ruining her wedding day by doing something stupid."

"You're right she would kill me. That's if she decides to show up."

Big Jerry could see his son had a lot on his mind, "Sit down Trey. Let's have a father- son talk."

Fitz sat down and looked at his father, "You never call me Trey."

"Yeah, I know. I have always been so formal with you your entire life just like my father was with me. He said by being formal it would teach me respect and honor. But now I realize that you can't teach respect and honor, you earn it. I have been so hard on you when most of the time all you wanted was for me to be your father. So right here in this moment, I will be your father. Tell me what's on your mind and I will see if I can help you."

Fitz thought for a moment, "Do you think Liv and I are moving too fast? I mean, we met in October and here we are getting married in January."

"Tell me son, do you love her?"

Without hesitation, "More than life itself."

"Can you imagine living your life without her?"

Again without hesitation, "No."

"Then that is all that matters. Love has no timetable or expiration date. I still love your mother with all my heart and soul. No one will ever take her place. But I made sure that she knew it when she was alive. I may have been tough on you but I was weak when it came to your mother. I tried to give her the world but all she ever wanted was me and our family. As long as you love and trust each other, nothing else matters."

He sighs, "But what if she gets cold feet and doesn't show up?"

"Do you believe that she loves you?"

Without hesitation, "Yes, I do."

Big Jerry put his hand on his shoulder, "Then trust me son, she will be here."

Fitz smiled for the first time today. "Thank you dad."

"Anytime, son." He stood up from the bench, "Now let's get you some breakfast and get you married."

Fitz got up with his father and headed back into the house to enjoy his breakfast and family.

X X

Time flew by quickly and now Liv was at the ranch in her private room getting dress. Abby was helping her with the finishing touches. There was a knock at the door. Maya and Eli walked in holding Allie who was looking so adorable and cute in her dress with matching bows in her hair. Liv was thankful at the moment for her waterproof mascara.

Allie reached for her mama, "Ma-ma."

Liv took her from her mother, "Oh my god. She is so beautiful. I can't believe it." Liv was enjoying the tender moment with her daughter completely oblivious to the wedding photographer taking pictures.

Maya had to wipe a few tears from her face, "We just came from seeing Fitz. His father said that he was nervous but after seeing Allie, he is doing a lot better now."

Liv kissed Allie's cheek, "I think we both needed a dose of her. I can't believe I am getting married."

Eli cleared his throat trying to choke back his tears, "We wanted you to know that we are very proud of you. Fitz is a good man and we know that he will be there for you and Allie. Allie does look beautiful but she has nothing on you. You are the most beautiful bride I have ever seen."

She hugs her father, "Thank you so much daddy. I love you."

She turns and hugs her mother, "I love you so much mommy."

Maya kisses her cheek, "I love you too baby. Before we go, I wanted to give you something." She pulls a few items from Eli pockets. "I said that I would get the jewelry for you to wear. These earrings are your something old. Your grandmother gave them to me on my wedding day. This tennis bracelet is your something borrowed. Your father gave this to me for our first wedding anniversary. So I will definitely want this back."

Liv gave her mother a smile while Abby put the earrings and bracelet on.

Her mother then opened up a box, "This is your something new and blue. This is a 2 karat blue diamond necklace that your father and I wanted you to have. When I saw it, I just knew that it would look gorgeous on you."

Abby finished putting her jewelry on and Allie reached for the shiny necklace that caught her eye.

Liv caught her hand, "That's mine, pretty girl. Hopefully I will be able to let you wear it on your wedding day."

Allie smiled as if she understood what her mother said to her.

Maya took Allie from Liv, "Ok, baby. I believe it is close to show time."

Tina, the wedding planner, knocked on the door, "It's time for everyone to take their places."

Abby and Maya kissed Liv on the cheeks before leaving her alone with Eli.

Fitz stood at the altar watching Abby walk down the aisle. He looked over at Maya holding a happy go lucky Allie bouncing her on her knees. He smiled as tear rolled down his eye. He looked back at the aisle as his niece and nephew were walking down the aisle as the ring bearer and flower girl. He looked over at his sister and her husband as they beamed with pride.

Everyone stood up as Liv stood at the end of the aisle on the arm of her father. Fitz felt his heart drop to his feet. She was absolutely beautiful. She wore a simple white elegant sleeveless gown that hugged every curve of her body. He felt all the air being sucked out of his lungs as she started walking down the aisle towards him. He had to remind himself to breathe before he passed out. It was at that moment he caught her eyes and saw her smile. All of his tension and nerves vanished. He smiled as her father proudly handed her to him.

The recited their vows and exchanged rings before their families and friends. Everything was perfect. The sun setting on their former lives and they were united as one.

"What god has joined together let no man take asunder. I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."

Fitz pulled her close to him as he took her face in his hands bringing their lips together to seal their union. Liv put her arms around his waist as he deepened the kiss. She pulled away before he got carried away. They laughed because she knew him so well.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III."

X X

They shared a private moment together after the wedding. It was the first time they had been together since the night before. They hugged each other and held one another like life depended on it.

Fitz slowly breathed in the scent of her, "I can't believe that we are married."

Liv pulled her face back to look in his eyes, "Believe it because we are."

He chuckled, "You were so beautiful walking down that aisle. I almost passed out but then I figured you would be pretty mad at me. That was my sole thought and focus today to not do anything stupid to ruin your day."

She kissed him, "You did great today baby. You were a-ah-mazing!" He laughed, "You made my dreams come true today. So if that was your focus for today, then you did a fabulous job."

He pulled her tighter, "How about I give you a night to remember to go with that?"

She smirked, "Let's get this reception over with so that I can get you naked as quickly as possible."

They walked into their reception hand in hand to applause and congratulations. Liv smiled brightly as she hugged her parents and friends.

She hugged Abby, "Thanks for having my back and being my friend."

"Always. I am super happy for you. You make me believe in love."

"Abby, you can have love too. Leave David alone and get serious. Leo really likes you."

Abby rolled her eyes, "I know he does but I don't know if I am ready. Sometimes the dick is too good to let go."

She whispered, "Trust me, Abby. You can get love and good dick from the same man if you look hard enough."

Abby squealed at the silliness of her friend. "You are crazy girl. Glad to see that married life hasn't changed you."

Liv scoffed, "Bitch I have been married for 30 minutes."

They laughed and joked until Fitz walked up grabbing her around her waist, "Excuse me Abby but I believe my beautiful wife owes me a dance."

Liv smiled brighter as she took her husband's hand and walked onto the dance floor. When Gerald Levert's "Made to Love Ya" started playing, Fitz pulled her towards to him in the middle of dance floor. He placed both arms around her waist while she placed hers around his neck. They swayed slowly to the music as she buried her head into his neck. Her mother had tears in her eyes as she saw the love and happiness her daughter was receiving. Fitz held her tight as if he was afraid she would slip away.

Liv ran her fingers through Fitz's hair. They pulled their foreheads to rest on each other's. It was then that Liv realized that Fitz was crying.

She looked at him, "Are you ok?"

He smiled as she wiped a tear from his face, "I am dancing with my wife. Trust me baby, I am fine. This moment is perfect because I am here with you. Everything in my life has pushed me to this moment with you. You are my destiny."

She smiled, "And you are mine." She brought his mouth to hers as they kissed. He tasted the wine she had earlier on her tongue and it tasted divine. He grabbed her ass and deepened the kiss as she pulled his mouth closer to hers. They were so into each other that they forgot they were not alone.

Catcalls and people clearing their throats brought them back to the present. It was then that they noticed the song was over. She pulled away and turned from the dance floor.

Stephen and boys were cheering Fitz on as he tapped her on her ass when he walked behind her. She playfully hit him on the arm. He walked towards his boys and she walked towards her dad.

The DJ announced, "Now the bride and her father will have their father-daughter dance."

Liv and her father danced to Celine Dion's version of "Dance with my Father." This was the first time that she had danced with her dad since she was little.

She chuckled, "Sorry you had to see that" referring to the kiss.

Her father smiled, "Nonsense. You are married and you love your husband. You two have always been over the top with your displays of affection. It's nothing I haven't seen between you two in the recent months anyway."

"You're right about that. I honestly think it might get worse now that we are married. I think whatever restraint he had before went out the window when we said, I do."

"That is true because now you are his. Before you were also his but now it's official. Men are prideful. We like to show off things that are ours. He loves you and he wants to show you off but more importantly, he wants to show that you are taken. So just be prepared."

Her father always gave good advice, "I will dad. Thank you for being a great dad to me and an even better grandfather to Allie."

"Anytime. I love my girls."

"We love you too."

Fitz watched his wife share a tender moment with father. He liked how she smiled and laughed while they danced. She was happy and that is all he ever wanted.

Stephen got him a drink from the bar, "Here you go, man. Congratulations."

They drank their shots, "Thanks man. I appreciate it." He sighed, "I'm married man now."

"It's looks good on you too, bruh. She looks good on you."

He laughed, "Yeah, she does." He handed Stephen his glass, "I got one more dance to do."

Fitz walked over to Maya, "Excuse me, Mrs. Pope."

Maya smiled at Fitz, "Please call me, Maya or Mom. After all, you did just marry my daughter and groped her on the dance floor."

Fitz smiled shyly, "Yeah, I am sorry you had to see that. We got carried away. But I wanted to ask you something. This is normally where I would dance with my mother but she is not here. So I was wondering if you would join me in a mother-son dance."

She fought back her emotions, "I would love to, Fitz."

Fitz danced with Maya to Boys II Men's "A Song for Mama." Liv was overwhelmed by the gesture. Abby put her arms around her friend as she cried seeing her mother and husband laughing and smile with each other.

Maya looked at Fitz, "I want to apologize to you as well. I did not like you at first and I was rude to you all the time."

Fitz faked like he was shocked, "Honestly, I really couldn't tell. This is news to me."

Maya laughed at him, "Anyway! I was just trying to look out for my daughter and protect her from getting hurt again."

"I completely understand. You have my word that I will never intentionally hurt her. If I do then you have my permission to shoot me."

"Trust me, that is a promise."

They laughed and talked until the song went off. Fitz wanted to dance with Allie but she was asleep in her car seat. It was too much excitement for her.

Harrison had taken the mic from the DJ, "Okay, now that we done got all the sentimental shit-oops- I mean stuff out of the way. It's time to party. My boy, Fitz, did his thing today by settling down and marrying this beautiful woman, Olivia. So we need to celebrate that shit! DJ let's turn it up!"

They partied and drank the night away. Liv threw the bouquet and Quinn caught it. Abby didn't try to catch it because she didn't need any added pressure on her relationship with Leo. She couldn't wait for the wedding to be over so she could meet up with David.

When it came time for the garter belt to be taken off, Fitz put a chair in the middle of floor for Liv. She thought he was going to do the sensible thing and pull it off with his hands but then she remembered that she married a freak. He stuck his head under her dress and pulled the garter belt off with his teeth. Everyone screamed and hollered at him. Liv buried her face in her hands.

Normally the guys would shy away from catching the garter but they had a bet to see who would catch it plus they were trying to impress some of the women at the wedding by making them think they were ready to settle down. Fitz slingshot it in the air and Huck caught it.

After a few more minutes of dancing and drinking, Liv was ready to go. "Oh, husband of mine, what do you say we blow this joint?"

He smirked, "Hell yes because I got something else for you to blow."

"Then let's go baby" she said very seductively.

They said their goodbyes as everyone walked out to driveway. He looked around for Liv's Escalade that he had driven the night before but he couldn't find anywhere.

He had a worried look on his face, "Baby, where is your truck? I know I parked it here."

She smiled a huge smile that reached her eyes, "I know we said no gifts but I couldn't resist. This is the most amazing day of my life. You have sacrificed so much for Allie and me. We have totally invaded your life including your house. So I wanted to give you something special to show you just how special you mean to me."

She turned his head to show a black 2015 Chevy Corvette with streamers and balloons hanging off the car and "Just Married" painted on the back window.

He looked at her with his mouth wide open. He couldn't believe she did this for him. She was still smiling, "The keys are inside." He took off running to the car as the crowd that came outside was laughing and clapping at his reaction. His boys ran over and joined him as he inspected his car.

Harrison high-fived him, "Dude this is a sweet ride."

Huck laughed, "Yeah man, your wife has good taste."

Fitz nodded his head, "Yes she does, in more ways than one. I can't believe she did this. How did she pull this off?"

Stephen touched him on his shoulder, "She may have requested a little help from your best man."

Harrison looked at Stephen, "I can't believe you knew about this and didn't tell us."

"Your ass can't hold water."

They laughed. Fitz walked back to his wife picking her up and spinning her around. "Mrs. Grant let's get out of here before we make a porn flick right here in this driveway."

She laughed, "I agree, Mr. Grant."

Fitz opened the passenger door for Liv and he climbed into the driver's side. He made the leisurely drive home to Malibu. When he pulled up in the driveway and noticed that her truck was parked outside the garage leaving room for his car. He smiled as he pulled his car in the garage.

He carried her over the threshold and up to the bedroom. He sat her on the bed and stared at her for a minute.

"You are so beautiful." He kissed her softly. "Don't move, I have something for you." He went to his dresser and pulled something out of his drawer. He sat beside her on the bed, "I know we said no gifts as well but this was something I wanted to give to you."

He handed her a manila envelope and took off his suit jacket. She pulled the paper out and read it carefully. It took her a minute to register what it was and what it said, "This is the deed to this house."

He smiled shyly, "Yeah, I added your name to the deed. So it's not just my house anymore. This is _our_ house. This is _our_ home."

She couldn't believe what she was reading, "But Fitz, you bought this house for you. This was your dream house."

"And it still is. This house was just a house. You and Allie made it a home. I don't ever want to be here without either of you. I never knew what I wanted in life until I met you. You made me want to be better. I will strive every day to be a better man for you. What's mine is yours. All that I have is yours. Speaking of that, you should be getting your own credit cards to my accounts this week and we need to add your name to my bank accounts as well. I don't want you or Allie to want for a thing. I know that you make your own money and I appreciate the car-no wait- I _love_ the car but from now on, I want to take care of you."

She sat the paper down on the nightstand, "Ok, but tonight how about we take care of each other?"

He whispered seductively, "I like the way you think, Mrs. Grant."

"I love you the way you say that."

He stood her up and unzipped her dress. He stood behind her as she let her dress fall to the floor. He kissed her neck and whispered in her ear, "Whatever Mrs. Grant wants, Mrs. Grant gets. So tell me, what does Mrs. Grant want?"

She turned to face him standing in her white laced bra and underwear, "Mrs. Grant wants Mr. Grant to make love to her."

"As you wish."

He pulled her into a kiss as his hands roamed over her body. She untied his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. She slowly slid off his shirt while he unhooked her bra. He trailed kisses from her face to her breast taking the time to worship every part of her body. He sat her on the bed to remove her shoes.

She watched as he removed his shoes and pants tossing them to other side of the room. He stood over in his boxers watching her lay on the bed in her panties. He reached and yanked her panties off with such force making her squeal in the process.

"Spread your legs for me baby." She did as he commanded. He crawled up her body between her legs placing kisses all over her and marking his territory. He reached her mouth rubbing his erection on her core.

He sucked on her neck so hard that he left a mark but he didn't care. She was _his._ She grabbed his face pulling him back to look into his eyes. "I want my dick in my mouth."

He kissed her, "You can have your dick anywhere you want it baby. It's all yours. I want my pussy in my mouth. You know I need my vitamin P."

She laughed as she slid his boxers down his legs. He situated them in the 69 position with her sitting on his face. He greedily attacked her core. She moaned as she licked his cock from the base to tip before taking him completely in her mouth. They both were overwhelmed from the various sensations that were shooting through their bodies. She was sucking him good and hard. He almost lost it when she deep throated his dick. Fitz held her body in place as he spread her legs wider which allowed his tongue to go deeper. He placed his hand in her hair while fucking her mouth as she felt her orgasm take over her body. He continued moaning and licking her essence as she came down from her high.

She rolled off on her back panting trying to catch her breath. He crawled back up her body and before she could recover, he thrust into her. She moaned as he filled her.

"Fuck!" She screamed as she slowly pumped into her.

He went back to kissing the previous mark on her neck while he fucked her slowly, "This is going to be all night. I am going to make love to you and fuck you all night. Can I do that?"

Trying to respond, "Y-yeah."

He looked at her while she was slowly losing control. He loved the faces she made when he made love to her, "I love you. I. Love. My. Wife." He said each word with a thrust.

Her voice was hoarse, "Fuck me baby."

That was all he needed her to say. He raised a leg over his shoulder allowing him to go deeper. He picked up speed as he thrust harder.

"That's what you want baby?"

She couldn't think straight to answer.

He smacked her leg, "I asked you a question."

"Y-y-y-yes! I'm cumming!"

He grunted and went faster, "Cum for your husband."

Her body obeyed and exploded with pleasure. He slowed his strokes before pulling out completely.

"Turn over." His voice was dripping with seduction and authority. She turned over on her stomach. He pulled her knees up while pushing her head down. "Face down, ass up baby." He kissed her back and both ass cheeks before lining back up and thrusting into her.

This time there was no slow and leisure pace. He went full throttle as he pounding into her hard and fast. She screamed like he was trying to kill her. He pulled her hair and smacked her ass. He felt her walls clamping around his dick.

"Make me cum with you, Livvie."

She screamed so loud when she came that she could probably be heard on the beach. Fitz followed shortly spilling his seed inside of her. They both collapsed on the bed. He tried not to put his weight on her as he pulled out rolling to the side. He pulled her into his arms.

He kissed her forehead, "Wow, making love to my wife is awesome."

She laughed at his silliness, "Yes it is. Plus my husband is a dynamic lover."

They made love three more times that night and in the morning. It was the perfect end to their perfect day.


	25. Chapter 25

The next day they left to go on their honeymoon in Belize, Mexico. They slept the entire plane ride because they were exhausted. They had to take a boat ride to their private island to stay at their luxury resort called Cayo Espanto. It was beautiful and secluded. There was wine and beer already chilled and waiting for them when they arrived.

The first day was spent relaxing. All of their stress and worries from the past few months and especially the last few weeks seemed to disappear. Fitz soon realized that when Liv was relaxed and drank a lot, she became a different person. He liked Drunk Liv. He imagined that this was how she was in college. She was so open and honest. He admired her strength even more because he saw the different personas that she had to make to protect herself. He always thought she was poised and controlled in the boardroom because that was her personality. Now he knows that she could be a complete mess but she was only that way with him which made him love her even more.

He watched her have her giggle fits as she finished drinking the entire bottle of wine. He took the bottle from her as she lays flat on her back on the bed, "How are you feeling?"

Giggling and slurring her speech, "I feel fan-tabolous! I am here with my wonderful husband without a care in the world right now. I haven't felt this good in a long time."

He smiled, "I am glad that you are happy and relaxed."

She smiled but then he noticed that she became deep in thought. He laid down on his side beside her propping his head with his elbow. He ran his fingers up her arm, "What are you thinking about?"

She sighed deeply, "Life. More specifically, the journey of life. I never thought much about fate or destiny. I always dealt with whatever obstacles life threw at me. But now I see that everything, every relationship, every obstacle, every mistake, and every stumbling block was simply preparing me for you. I look back to past relationships and how I used to think love was supposed to be or feel. Now I know that I never felt real love until I met you. I once asked myself why didn't I meet you sooner. Why couldn't I have met you in college when I lived in California? It would have save me the pain and heartache from Jake and all the other guys I dated in college. But now I look at it from a different perspective. If we had met in college, we wouldn't be here now. After college, I was always going back to DC. No man was going to change that. You would have gone with your father's plan to marry Mellie. We would just have been a wasted opportunity. Like you once said everything happens for a reason. We went through everything we had to so that our hearts could be ready to embrace the kind of love that we have for one another. Sometimes you only get one shot at true love. You are it for me. I want to thank you for waiting for me."

He kissed her softly, "I would have waited forever."

She giggled, "You are so corny sometimes."

He laughed at her, "And you, my dear wife, are drunk."

"Give me a break. I have been told that I am super honest when I am drunk. It's like a truth serum. I cannot lie."

Fitz sat up in the bed, "Okay, so I can ask you anything?"

"Anything."

He thought for a minute, "Who is No-name that Abby was referring to at the rehearsal dinner?"

She giggled, "No-name is Henry actually. I dated him my freshman year in college. He was a senior and we broke up after he graduated."

"Why did you catch him cheating or something?"

She giggled louder, "No he caught me cheating. I don't do the whole long distance relationship thing well. That is why I broke up with my high school sweetheart. But Henry left for the summer to do an internship after graduation while I stay at school. He surprised me on day but the surprise ended up being on him. He saw me out on a date with another guy."

"So he broke up with you?"

"You would think so but no. He wanted to work things out. I realized that it wasn't going to work so I broke up with him."

Fitz was taken back by what he heard, "So he caught you cheating and still wanted to stay with you? Wow, dude was weak."

"Yeah he was." She turned to look at him, "I miss Allie."

"Me too. We will see her in a few days. I just wanted some alone time with my hot sexy wife."

She giggled, "I get all giddy and tingly when you say that. I am your wife. It's hard to believe that I am someone's wife. You actually made a commitment to me. I just knew you were going to back out. I thought you just proposed to keep me from leaving you again. Then you wanted this quick wedding and I kept thinking that this was happening so fast. I kept looking for signs of doubt in your eyes but I never saw any. If I had, I probably wouldn't have married you."

He stared at her with serious eyes for a few minutes. Alcohol was really her truth serum. She had no filters. She always spoke with care and tried to be aware of his feelings. But he felt like for the first time she was speaking from the heart. "What did you think about me when you first saw me?"

Without hesitation, "I thought you were an arrogant jackass. You were late for my first meeting and you half paid attention to what was being said. Most of the time when I was doing a presentation you would check out my ass or my boobs." She laughed, "I started wearing tighter clothes when I knew you would be in the meeting. I like when I wow people with my mind but I would be lying if I said I didn't like the attention I got with my body as well. I thought you were the example of white privilege. Then you made that comment at lunch about kids ruining your life, I knew then that I had to distance myself from you."

He thought back to that moment, "So if Allie hadn't gotten sick-"

"We wouldn't be here." She finished his sentence.

"Thank God for fate."

She burst out in the most unconventional laugh he had ever heard. He stared at her like she was crazy. "Liv what's so funny?"

"I have to go to the bathroom and I can't feel my legs."

He started laughing at her silliness, "Okay no more drinking for you." They continued to laugh as he picked her up out of the bed. He threw her over his shoulder and carried her to the bathroom. He put her down in the bathroom and closed the door so that he could clean up the room by throwing away their empty bottles. He heard her running a bath. He grabbed the room service menu. He ordered dinner for them and joined her in the tub. After their bath, they ate dinner and talked the rest of the night until they went to sleep.

The next day, they decided to go to the beach and to do some sightseeing. Fitz wore his red swim trunks that Liv had bought him with a white tank top with brown flip flops. Liv wore her white two piece bikini with a white body wrap around her bottom half and white flip flops as well. They both wore their shades as they walked hand in hand throughout the various shops.

Fitz stopped and bought a beer at a local bar while Liv went inside a store to look for something for Allie. Liv eyed several t-shirts and other trinkets trying to decide what to buy. She didn't notice two college kids staring at her in the store.

One of them walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder, "Excuse me, Miss. Are you from the States?"

She nodded her head, "Yeah, California."

They exchanged a look and the guy spoke again, "Cool." He handed her a card, "We are having this awesome party tonight at this club. You are welcome to come as one of our VIP guests. Just show this card at the door and they will let you up to our section. Bring a friend if you want."

She took the card and put it in her bag, "Ok, I will think about it."

The guys walked out of the store and Liv went back to shopping. Fitz came in the store as she was checking out. She showed him the things she bought as the cashier rang them up. They left the store and stopped at a few more shops before heading to the beach.

Liv took off her wrap and rubbed sunscreen on Fitz's body. He rubbed some on hers. Fitz walked to the Jet Ski rental stand to rent a jet ski for them. He was standing in line behind a few guys.

"Damn, look at the ass on that honey." One of the guys in front of him made the comment. Everyone turned around but him. He was not going to look at woman that was not his wife. In his mind, they were just young kids and they could look all they wanted but he was a married man with eyes for his wife only.

The guy's friend looked at the woman, "She is fine as fuck. I would love to have a piece of that."

Another guy commented, "Someone should tell her that that white swimsuit is hot. It would look even better if it was on the floor with her on top of me."

At the mentioning of white swimsuit, Fitz turned to where they were looking and noticed they were talking about Olivia. He felt his blood starting to boil, "Guys, I really don't appreciate you making sexist comments about my wife."

They all looked at him in disbelief. The first guy looked him over, "You mean to tell _us_ that fine ass woman is your wife."

Fitz stood toe to toe with him, "Yes, that's my wife and you got one more thing to say about her before I beat the shit out of you."

The guys back off of him and rented their jet skis. Fitz joined Olivia after renting theirs. They had to wait about 30 minutes before it was their turn.

When Fitz sat down in his chair, Liv noticed that something was off about his demeanor, "Baby, is everything all right?"

He looked at her, "Yeah." He turned to scan the beach and noticed a few guys looking their way mainly at Olivia. He frowned at her, "Did you pack another swimsuit besides that one?"

She was shocked by his tone, "Yes but they are all two pieces just like this one. I thought you liked this one."

He started to get angry, "I do but I don't want the whole damn beach looking at my wife's ass and wondering what it would feel like to fuck her."

She took a deep breath, "Fitz, it shouldn't matter because you are the one that I am with. You are the one that I am married to. I don't care if they look."

He got up and stood over her, "You don't care that every guy on this beach wants to fuck you. You don't care that they are looking and objectifying you."

She scoffed, "Really, Fitz? Objectifying me? That's the best you can come up with. How many women have you objectified? How many women did you see as a conquest? How do you think I feel when I go into your office and know that you have personally bent several women over your desk and fucked them? Have you thought about that? No, you haven't. But now you have a problem with guys looking at me. I guess you want me to wear an ugly balloon looking swimsuit and look hideous so no one will objectify me. That's stupid."

"Don't call me stupid."

"I didn't call _you_ stupid. I am calling your thought process and ideology stupid. Learn the difference." She got up from her chair and walked towards the beach.

He called out to her, "Where are you going?"

She turned, "I am going into the water. I want to swim but more importantly, I want to get away from you."

He watched her as she walked away. She went into the ocean and swam a little while. He sat in his chair and replayed the conversation in his mind. He knew that he was wrong. She did ask him about the swimsuit before they left the room. She looked great in it as she always does in whatever she wears. This was the first time he really ever noticed that other men found her attractive as well and it was eating him inside.

He calmed down after a few minutes. He noticed it was time for them to walk to the Jet Ski area. He walked towards the water holding a towel. She started walking out of the water once he reached the edge. When she got close to him, he wrapped the towel around her body to dry her off.

He looked at her sincerely, "I'm sorry. You are right. I get jealous sometimes. This is all me. It's my issue not yours. I am going to work on my issues. Let's not ruin our honeymoon. Will you please ride on the jet ski with me?"

She knew this conversation needed to be discussed more but right now she wanted to have some fun with her husband, "Ok."

He rented the Jet Ski for an hour. He drove her for 30 minutes and they switched letting her drive for 30 minutes. It was fun and exhilarating. The argument had been forgotten. There were screams of excitement and laughter. The closeness of hugging each other while bouncing on waves was just what they needed.

After their ride, they left the beach for lunch. Fitz was more attentive and affectionate than he was before their argument. It was a fact that didn't go unnoticed by Olivia. He kept her at arm's length never allowing her to get more than a few feet from him. At first she thought the extra attention was sweet but after while it started to get a little annoying.

After lunch and sightseeing, Liv was ready to go back to the room. She was quiet and only responding when he asked her questions. They made it back to the room and Liv took a shower to wash off the ocean water before taking a nap. Fitz noticed a change in her but he decided not to say anything to her. He was right. It was his problem and not hers.

He showered and looked at brochures to see what they could do that night. He made a few calls to plan a romantic night for his wife. After an hour, Liv woke up to find Fitz shaving in the bathroom. She decided to let go of her anger and resentment. They were a work in progress.

She walked into the bathroom and put her arms around his waist from the back. She kissed his back, "Whatcha doing, sexy?"

He smiled and continued to shave, "I am getting ready to take my beautiful wife out for a romantic night with her idiotic husband."

She kissed his back again, "You are not idiotic. You are kind and sweet. You are very emotional and sometimes the wrong emotion takes over."

He turned to face her, "You know that I will never put my hands on you or try to hurt you in any way."

She kissed his lips, "Yeah, I know."

He kissed her back, "Good. You have an hour and a half to get dress. I want you to wear something sexy and wild."

She laughed, "Ok, I will wear something just for you."

She walked to the closet and brought out a tight blue maxi mini dress that was sure to hug every one of her curves and her matching blue Louboutin shoes. She did her hair and makeup. As she was cleaning out her bag to switch to her clutch purse, she came across the flyer that the guys had given her in the store.

She turned to Fitz who was getting dress as well, "Babe, how long are we going to be out?"

He thought, "Not too long. We should be done no later than 9 pm. Why?"

She showed him the flyer, "Some guys mentioned this party to me earlier and gave me this flyer plus some girls on the beach were telling me about it. They say it's a really nice hangout spot. I figured maybe we could drop by and check it out if you want."

He read over it, "Sure babe. I have no problem with that."

Fitz dressed in slacks with a blue polo style shirt to match Liv. She wore her hair down in her natural curls that he loved so much. Her makeup and jewelry were flawless. She was a stunning vision and he stood in awe of her beauty.

They walked to the pier outside their room where a small yacht was waiting for them. Fitz had planned a romantic sunset dinner cruise for two complete with wine and music. The cruise took them out into the ocean. They stood on the deck with Fitz holding Olivia in his arms looking out on the horizon. They were at peace.

During dinner, they had a nice upbeat conversation about everything from their future plans at work and their future plans as a family. Liv told him that she hadn't taken her birth control pills since they had agreed to try to have a baby. That made him excited about the possibilities of having a child with her in the near future. They talked about the conversations with her parents on the dance floor at their wedding which made both of them laugh. The evening was fun and light. It felt like what a honeymoon should feel like.

They toasted as the sunset on their evening. Sunsets hold special meanings for them. Fitz proposed at sunset. They got married at sunset. So that made this evening even more special. After dinner, they slow dance to soft music outside on the deck in the breeze. They were in their own little world. They always worked out fine in their own world but life was full of distractions. Fitz worked hard to make up for earlier and that's what he did.


	26. Chapter 26

After the sunset dinner cruise, they docked at the main island. The night life in the city was different than what they had seen during the day time. The streets were vibrant and the music was coming from everywhere. They walked hand in hand through the city. Liv had a huge smile on her face which made Fitz extremely happy. Every now and then they would steal kisses from each other.

They arrived at club Novue, and handed the bouncer the flyer that Liv was given. He proceeded to direct them to the VIP area. The club was packed with people having a good time. The music was from all different genres. There were different age ranges and different cultures. It was different people embracing their differences and having a good time.

Once they got passed the velvet rope, Fitz whispered to Olivia that he was going to the restroom. Liv shook her head and headed to the "S" shaped couch area. Fitz was using the bathroom when a guy walked in and started talking to another guy that was washing his hands. Looking at them, he could tell they were identical twins.

"Dude, she came. Miss California actually came."

The guy finished washing his hands, "Awesome! Remember she has to decide which one of us she wants."

The other guy grinned, "A three-way would definitely be awesome."

They high-fived and ran out of the bathroom. Fitz shook his head at them. He chuckled thinking about how he and his boys used to do the same things. He washed his hands and went in search of his wife.

He found her sitting on the couch talking to the two men he had seen earlier in the bathroom. He stood back watching their interaction for a minute before he finally put two and two together. Those guys were referring to his wife. Then the image of his wife in a threesome with them made his blood boil. He walked over to the couch and took a seat next to his wife putting a protective arm around her waist.

The guys looked from her to him and back to her. She noticed and responded, "Guys, this is my husband, Fitz." She turned to Fitz, "Babe, this is Chase and Chance. I met them at the store earlier and they gave me the flyer to come here."

Fitz looked at them and nodded. Chase spoke to Liv, "So how long have you two been married?"

Liv kissed Fitz's cheek, "Two days. We are here on our honeymoon."

Chance asked, "What part of California are you from?"

Liv answered, "We actually live in Malibu but he is the only one that is from California. I am originally from DC."

Chase said, "We are from Chicago. We actually go to Berkley."

Liv's mouth shot open, "Oh my god. I graduated from Berkley."

Chance and Chase exchanged a look before Chase spoke, "We are junior engineer majors. We came down here to 'find ourselves' with a little bit of our parents' money."

They all laughed except for Fitz. He was really trying to wrap his head around what was taking place in front of him.

Liv started talking, "Is Professor Taylor still there?"

They shook their heads, Chance said, "Yeah, he is there but there are days I am not sure that he knows he is there."

Liv laughed some more, "Wow, he was old when I was there. I took a science as an elective under him. After a week, I was like hell no. He was all over the place."

Chase spoke, "Yeah, I know. Thankfully one of our frat brothers is his TA so we do pretty well in there. We are members of Ka Alpha Si."

Liv thought back for a minute, "Yeah, I remember that frat house well. I dated a guy at that frat house. I spent a lot of my free time there as well. I didn't know they had lifted the sanctions yet to accept new members."

"Yeah it was lifted about two years ago. They said it was because some girl got drugged at one of the parties or something like that."

Liv shook her head, "Yeah. That girl is my best friend."

Chance had an epiphany, "So that is why you don't accept drinks from strangers?"

"Bingo." Liv looked at them, "It is really is a small world, isn't it?" She looked at her husband who had a not so pleased look on his face. She turned back to the guys, "If you will excuse me, I think I am going to dance a little bit with my husband."

She took Fitz's hand and led him towards the dance floor. She put her arms around his neck and swayed to the medium tempo song that playing. She tried to engage Fitz but he wasn't feeling it at all. He had an attitude and really didn't care to be there.

After trying to dance with him a few minutes, she got frustrated, "Fitz, can you please try to dance? Or at least act like you want to be here with me."

He was really angry, "I am surprised you even noticed that I was here at all. You sat there flirting with those guys like I wasn't there. I started to think I was invisible to you."

She was confused and taken back by his words, "I was not flirting with them. I was having a friendly conversation."

He scoffed, "With two guys that want to fuck you."

She was getting angry with him, "Well according to you, Fitz, every guy you see looking at me wants to fuck me. So what am I supposed to do? I guess I should just stay inside all day and not let any man see me. That way you won't get pissed off."

He gritted his teeth together, "Those two guys called you Miss California in the bathroom. They were hoping that you would have a threesome with them. Then I come out to find my wife laughing and flirting with them. That is what pissed me off. You need to learn your place. I suggest you fix your behavior and start acting like a married woman."

She stepped back from him, "Fix-." She couldn't believe what he said, "Fix my behavior? Learn my place? Really?" She was more pissed than she had ever been in her life, "Fine. You want to see me flirt then I will show you how I flirt."

She turned to walk away but he grabbed her arm, "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

She snatched her arm out of his grip and walked back over to the couch. She sat down in between Chance and Chase, "How about we do some shots guys?"

They waved the waitress over to bring them shots of Patron. Liv laughed and touched the guys' hands and arms all while Fitz stood off to the side getting angrier with each passing second. After the fifth round of shots, he had had enough of the bullshit.

He walked over to her, "Liv, stop this foolishness right now."

She was slightly drunk, "You guys remember my husband. He lovingly suggested that fix my behavior so that is what I am doing."

The guys were pretty drunk themselves, Chase slurred his speech, "I don't think you need to fix anything. You are the hottest babe we have seen in a long time. Hell, if he don't know how to treat you right then we sure as hell can. Right, Chance?"

Chance spoke, "Absolutely. You looked hot in that bikini earlier but you look even better in this dress. It makes me wonder what you look like out of it."

Liv took another shot and giggled, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Enough!" Fitz's voice interrupted their conversation. "Olivia Grant, if you don't get your ass up from that couch right now-"

"Or what?" She was openly defying him. She had never challenged him but she had also never been this angry.

He really didn't know how to answer that. He felt like his hands were tied. Just then, the DJ played Bruno Mars "Uptown Funk".

Liv took another shot and looked at Chance and Chase, "I love this song. You boys want to dance with me."

They downed their shots and all three of them walked out on the dance floor. Liv was sandwiched in between the guys dancing. The dance was innocent for a while until Chance put his hands on Olivia's hip when her back was to him. That sent Fitz over the edge.

He walked on the dance floor and pushed his way between them. He grabbed his wife by the waist and pulled her out of the club. She was stumbling a little because she was drunk. Chance and Chase ran outside after them.

Chance got in Fitz's face, "Hey! She doesn't want to go with you."

Fitz let go of Olivia and pushed Chance back, "She is my goddamn wife. She will go wherever I say she will go. I am taking her back to our room and there is nothing you can do to stop me."

Liv got in between them, "Please stop." She turned to face Chance, "I am going with my husband."

Chance looked at her, "You don't have to. We can get you back to the States. We can take care of you."

She gave a weak smile, "Trust me. I am fine. I have had too much to drink so I am going to sleep it off."

Fitz grabbed her hand and they walked back to the dock to take the ferry ride to their island. The walk and ride back was silent. Liv was very appreciative of that fact because her head was spinning like crazy.

When they got back to the room, Liv was too drunk to even take off her clothes. She effortless plopped down on the bed. Fitz changed out of his clothes while she just laid there with her arm over her eyes.

Her voice broke the silence, "If you are going to yell at me, can you do it now because I am sure I will have a headache in the morning."

He never responded. He just finished taking off his clothes. He walked over to the bed and slowly removed her shoes. He stood her up and removed her clothes including her bra and underwear. He peeled back the covers and placed her in the bed. He turned off the lights and joined her.

He pulled her back to him and held her tight. His heart ached so much at this moment. Part of him wanted to cry and the other part wanted to scream. But the truth of the matter was he could only blame himself.

He kissed her head and whispered in a broken voice, "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I promise to never talk to you or treat you that way again. I don't ever want to see you act like that with anyone else. I was wrong and stupid. Please baby, don't leave me."

She absorbed all of his words and heard the angst in his voice, "Fitz, you need help. I can't go on like this. I understand that you have been hurt. You might not have loved Mellie but she did hurt you. You have trust issues and you are right. Those are your issues not mine. You can't truly love me if you don't trust me."

"I do trust you, Livvie. More than I trust anyone else."

She turned to face him, "Then baby you have to act like it because I refuse to live like this again. I will not live in fear of you or your emotions. I would rather be divorced before I live like that." She felt him tighten his grip at the word divorce. "Fitz, I am not Mellie. Let me tell you a little secret that I learned a long time ago. Some people will stay faithful no matter how bad things are. And some people will cheat no matter how good things are. If someone wants to cheat, they will. There is nothing you can do to stop it. I intend to honor my vows that I made to you. I am not going to cheat."

He sighed, "I know you would never cheat on me but then last night you told me that you cheated on a guy and that messed my head up."

"Baby, I was 19 years old. I wasn't ready for a serious commitment like that. Now I am. I was celibate for over a year when I met you. Fitz, you were not the first man to ask me out. I know how to say no. If I wasn't ready for a commitment, then I wouldn't have married you. I love you, Fitz, with my mind, body, and soul. But you need help. You need to work out your demons. And not just the way you did the night of my bachelorette party."

He tensed up a little, "You know about that."

She nodded, "Yeah, I know. I know you saw me. I knew before I came in the house that night. Emily told me. But more importantly, I know you. I know the difference between making love and fucking. Most of the time when we are fucking, it's about control with you. I allowed you to be dominating because that was what you needed at the time. But you can't fuck me into submission every time you feel threaten. You need help. I mean serious help."

He kissed her softly, "Okay. You are right. I will get help. I promise. I will do anything to keep from losing you."

He kissed her deeply allowing their tongue to tangle. He tasted the alcohol on her tongue. His hands ran down her naked body that lay under him. His fingers stopped at her core. He gently rubbed her core with his palm eliciting a moan from her in his mouth. He moved his mouth to her neck and jaw. He kissed and licked the area slowly. He rubbed a finger up and down her clit before inserting a finger in her core. He sucked her neck as her back arched. He inserted another finger as she slowly pumped them in and out of her pussy.

He kissed her neck by her ear, "No more drinking and dancing with other guys. I don't ever want to see that again." He pushed his fingers in her deep.

She couldn't respond. She just shook her head up and down. He sucked her breast as his fingers kept plunging deeper into her core. An orgasm took over causing her to scream.

He whispered in her ear, "Can I show you how sorry I am? Can I please you baby?"

She shook her head again.

He continued to finger fuck her as he made his way down to her core. He took his fingers out and licked her essence off before driving his tongue into her pussy. He swirled his tongue around deep into her pussy. She felt like she was having an out of body experience. He gripped her hips as he kept going deeper and deeper. He alternated between tongue fucking her and sucking her clit. Soon her body exploded with another orgasm. He licked her essence clean.

He looked up at her and whispered, "I am sorry baby. Please forgive me."

She was panting and breathing heavy. She shook her head. She thought he was finished but he put his tongue back into its previous spot. This time he added his fingers to the mix. After about three more orgasms, he lined his cock against her core and slowly thrust into her.

His head was in her shoulders and neck. She dug her nails into his back as he pushed deeper and deeper. It was slow sensual assault. This was about love. It was about their love for each other. No matter what happened, they always had love.

He spoke softly to her, "I love you so much baby. Please don't leave me."

He put both legs over his arms as he spread them wider. He was hitting bottom and she was feeling every stroke. She screamed and moaned as the pleasure became so intense.

Between the feelings he was giving her and the alcohol, it was too much. He picked up the pace as he felt his release coming.

She screamed, "I'm cumming baby."

"Me, too. Take me with you baby."

They both screamed when their release came. He lay on top of her for few minutes before rolling to his side to catch his breath. It wasn't until he heard her sniffing did he realize she was crying.

He pulled her to him, "Baby did I hurt you?"

She shook her head, "No. I'm sorry I almost ruined our honeymoon."

He kissed her tears, "Baby you didn't ruin anything. We are going to be okay. We still have two more days. We can do whatever you want. You can wear whatever you want. I love you and I am not going anywhere."

She smiled, "Promise."

He smiled back. "I promise."

The next morning she woke up with a hangover. After vomiting in the toilet, Fitz gave her some medicine with orange juice and allowed her to sleep a while. After she woke up and felt better, they swam together outside of their room. They had lunch and dinner on the balcony of their rooms. He knew that she was avoiding going out because of what happened but he just went along with it to make her happy.

Their last day, he wanted to do something fun and exciting. He took her parasailing and shopping at the local mall. He tried to keep his distance but he found that she was more accepting of his clinginess because she knew it put him at ease. They had a nice couple's massage on the beach with a moonlit dinner. After another wonderful round of sex, they went to bed because tomorrow they would be going home to see Allie and they were very excited.


	27. Chapter 27

They made it back home and picked up Allie from Liv's parents' house. She was excited to see them and they were excited to see her. They made their rounds to see family and friends giving them their souvenirs before they headed home. Liv unpacked their things while Fitz and Allie went to the man cave.

After she finished unpacking, she went to check on them and found them sitting in his recliner watching "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse." She laughed as she walked into the room. Allie had fallen asleep on Fitz's chest.

Liv looked at him, "If she is asleep, why are you still watching Mickey Mouse?"

He smiled, "Well I became invested in it and I kind of want to see how it ends."

"I thought only sports would be watched in here."

He pulled her to sit on the arm rest of his chair, "Well, I guess things have changed. Yours and Allie's happiness are all that matter to me. And if watching Mickey Mouse or whatever show you want to watch in my man cave will make you happy then that is what we are going to watch."

She kissed him on the lips, "You are so amazing. I can't figure out what I ever did to deserve you. You are great father and husband."

"I love you, Livvie."

"I love you too baby."

After a few weeks, life settled into a comfortable routine. They had dinner at Liv's parents' house to celebrate Liv's birthday. She wanted a low key evening with her family. Fitz gave her a spa day as her gift. February slowly rolled around before long it was the middle of March. They would work during the day and have family time at night. On the weekends, they would do family things like go to the park or the zoo or the movies. They even went to Chuck E. Cheese for the first time and Fitz was more excited than Allie.

At work, Liv was focused on the takeover more than anything. She knew the company was doing well but now she was able to see the actual bottom line that it was worth. It made everything seem more real and final. She was going to run a multi-billion dollar company. Big Jerry had more faith in her because of her educational background than he had in Fitz but he would never say that aloud. Liv slowly went from participating in budget and strategy meetings to taking them over and running them herself. She was used to blending into the background but soon she would be the face of the company.

Fitz had been groomed for this his entire life. He knew what was at stake. His focus was not on his work but it was on his personal life. More specifically, his focus was on his marriage. He finally found a therapist, Dr. Saul and was seeking the help that he had promised Liv he would get. He left work after lunch on Thursday for his first visit. No one including Liv knew about his appointment.

After filling out the questionnaire form, he was taken back to see the doctor. The doctor carefully reviewed his form and made some notes.

He looked at Fitz, "So Fitzgerald, it's says here that your wife encouraged you to seek help for your jealous, anger, and control issues?"

Fitz shook his head, "Yes, that's correct."

"Ok, well let me ask you this. Do _you_ feel that you have jealousy, anger, and control issues?"

"Yes, I do."

He made a note, "Ok, Fitzgerald-"

Fitz interrupted, "Please call me Fitz, Doc. My father calls me Fitzgerald and I hate it."

The doctor made a note, "Ok, Fitz. Tell me about the last time you had an incident with jealousy, anger, and control."

Fitz told him about what happened at the club on their honeymoon.

The doctor wrote a few notes, "So you thought your wife was flirting with the guys at first and that made you angry."

Fitz clarified, "No, when I heard the guys talking about her in the bathroom and then saw them talking to her, that's when I got angry."

"So you were angry at your wife even though she didn't anything wrong?"

Fitz thought for a moment, "Yeah, I guess."

"From my understanding the conversation started out innocently on her end. She even introduced you as her husband. She kissed you and allowed you to hold her close to you without any issue or resistance from her. Am I correct?"

Fitz replied softly, "Yes."

"After you accused her of flirting and wanting to sleep with the men, that is when she started acting that way, right?"

"Yes."

"Has your wife ever given you a reason to think that she would cheat on you?"

He shook his head, "No, never."

He wrote some things down, "Fitz, tell me about your last relationship before you met your wife."

He told her about his relationship with Mellie and how she cheated on him with Andrew.

"Ok. Think back to that relationship with Mellie. What was your biggest fear?"

Fitz thought for a minute, "I didn't want to disappoint my father."

"You wanted to make your father proud even if it meant sacrificing your own happiness?"

"Yes."

"And what is your biggest fear now?"

Fitz felt tears swelling up in his eyes, "I don't want to disappoint her. I am afraid if I disappoint her then she will leave me again."

Dr. Saul read his questionnaire again, "You say that she left you before when she saw you coming out of a hotel with your ex? Nothing happened between you two because you were able to stop it before things went any further. Your jealousy, anger, and control issues placed you in that situation because some guy you were working with was hitting on your wife who was your girlfriend at the time."

Fitz wiped a tear, "Yes."

He put the questionnaire down and looked at Fitz, "Fitz, your situation is simple but also complex. You were in a relationship with a woman to please your father. You felt like you did everything right but you didn't love her which is why she cheated. She wanted love. It was nothing personal against you but you two were never in love. Your relationship was not designed to be about love. When she broke up with you, it hurt. It didn't hurt your heart, it hurt your pride. So now you have a beautiful wife-I am assuming she is beautiful or else guys wouldn't constantly hit on her-she is faithful and true as far as you know. She has never given you a reason to doubt her. She loves you unconditionally yet you are letting your pride get in the way of your happiness. You are taking your emotional baggage and placing it on her shoulders."

Fitz was in a full blown crying fit right now. The words were hitting him in his core.

Dr. Saul asked him, "Fitz, have you ever physically abused your wife?"

Fitz shook his head, "No, I would never put my hands on her."

"Have you ever verbally abused your wife?"

Fitz continued to shake his head, "No, never."

Dr. Saul took a deep breath before he continued, "Then why do insist on emotionally abusing her?"

Fitz looked at him like he had two heads, "What?"

He held up the questionnaire, "Everything you wrote on this paper and everything you just said to me, that's emotional abuse. You are trying to control her and modify her behavior to keep you from getting upset. But the problem is not her behavior. Nine times out of ten her behavior is innocent. You get upset at the looks and stares from other guys and you take it out on her. She can't control how men see her and neither can you. If you keep reacting the way that you do, one of two things is going to happen. She will either submit to your abuse and try to keep you from getting angry which will cause her to live in constant fear of you or she will not submit and eventually leave you. So either you can make the choice to continue to get help now or she will make the choice to leave or stay later."

Fitz put his face in his hands and let out a deep breath. He felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest. "I want help now."

The doctor shook his head, "Okay. I would like to meet with you once a week. In the meantime, show your wife how much she means to you. Lay your pride down on the floor. If someone compliments your wife, look at her and smile. You need to acknowledge that she is beautiful. If you tell your wife how beautiful she is then it won't be an issue when someone else tells her because she will already know. No one can turn her head if she is looking at you so give her a reason to keep looking at you."

Fitz shook his head and absorbed the doctor's words. He stood and shook the doctor's hand, "Thank you, Doc."

Fitz drove back to work and sat in his office staring at the wall. He felt like he was less than a man. He was the one that didn't deserve her. He looked around his office at the pictures on his desk and bookshelves. As he looked at his desk, he thought about what she said about knowing he had bent several women over his desk. He never knew she felt like that. He never knew it bothered her. He needed to fix that. He needed her to know that she was the only woman for him.

He called Lauren into his office.

"Yes, sir, Mr. Grant."

"I need a catalog from IKEA so that I can order a new desk. Call Giovanni's and make reservations at 8pm for three. Let them know that I am bringing my 10 month old daughter so we will need a high chair. Call the florist and tell them that I want a dozen roses waiting at the restaurant when we arrive. Call a car service for a limo to pick us up from home at 7. Call one of those boutique shops in Beverly Hills and make an appointment for my wife to shop for dresses on Saturday. Also book a suite at Beverly Hills Wilshire for tomorrow and Saturday. Make sure they put a crib in the room for my daughter. Once you have completed all of that, let me know."

Lauren finished taking notes, "Yes sir. I will get right on it."

After she left, Fitz picked up the phone and called the head of HR to his office. A young woman named Victoria walked into his office shortly after the call.

She was nervous. She had never been on this floor before. She thought she was being fired, "Can I help you, Mr. Grant?"

Fitz offered her a seat before sitting at his desk. "Vicki, I want to schedule a mandatory sensitivity training for every employee. It is time that everyone is treated equally and respectably."

Vicki smiled at his request, "Yes, sir. I think that would be amazing."

"I want it to include sexual harassment, hostile workplace and interoffice romance."

Vicki shook her head, "I will get right on it sir."

Fitz stood and shook her hand. As she left, Lauren walked back into the office. She informed him that everything was all set.

Fitz walked down the hall to Liv's office. He knocked on the door and waited for her to say come in.

She was so engrossed in her work that she barely looked up as he entered. She had papers sprawled all over her desk.

He sat down in a chair in front of her desk, "Hey baby!"

She looked up for a second, "Hey, sweetie. I am really busy at the moment. Is this really important?"

"Is there something I can help you with?"

She handed him a paper, "Have you ever heard of Dallas Enterprises? Do we even advertise for them?"

He looked at the paper, "No, I never heard of them but that doesn't mean we don't advertise for them."

She took the paper back, "You are probably right." She looked at her husband for a moment, "So what's on your mind? I went by your office earlier but Lauren said you had stepped out."

He sighed, "Yeah, I had my first therapy session today."

She was taken back by his words. She thought that he had forgotten about his promise to her since it had been over a month and they were doing a little better, "How did it go?"

"Ok, I guess. It was a real eye opener. I am going back next week."

She smiled, "I am glad. Is this what you came to tell me?"

He smiled back at her, "No, I came to ask my beautiful wife if she would like to have dinner with me tonight."

"She would love to but it's too late to ask someone to keep Allie."

He stood up, "Allie will be coming with us. I want to take my girls out on a date so try to be home and ready by 7. I will pick up Allie from daycare."

He walked around to her desk and gave her a kiss, "Love you, Mrs. Grant."

"Love you too, Mr. Grant."

Quinn buzzed her intercom breaking up their moment, "Mrs. Grant, you have a call on line 2."

They kissed one more time before Fitz left to allow her to finish her work. Fitz left work before 5 pm. He picked up Allie from daycare. He got himself and Allie dressed for dinner. He put her on a beautiful pink calico dress with a matching pink headband. She looked like a little princess. She was learning to walk as long as someone held her hand. He smiled at her knowing that soon she would have the confidence to walk alone but until then Daddy would always hold her hand. He put her in the playpen that they kept in their bedroom. Now that she was older, she would try to climb out if you weren't watching her closely. Fitz checked his watch and it was 6:30 and Liv still hadn't made it home yet. He was about to call her when she burst into the bedroom.

She was out of breath like she had been running, "Sorry babe. I got held up at the office plus I ran into a little traffic getting out of the city. Give me a few minutes and I will be ready."

She grabbed her pink one strapped off the shoulder knee length dress. It was new and she had never worn it before. Fitz saw that she was putting it on and decided to change his white shirt to his pink so that he could match Liv and Allie. He wore his blue suit with a light pink shirt and a dark pink tie. He was really secure in his man-hood because he believed that real men could wear pink.

Liv retouched her makeup and put on her heels. She changed a few pieces of jewelry and put her hair in an up do. When she was finally done getting ready, Fitz and Allie were waiting downstairs for her.

Fitz checked his watch. It was 7:10. He yelled up the stairs, "Come on babe! We are going to be late!"

Liv replied coming down the stairs, "I am right here!"

Fitz was stunned at how quickly she could change from businesswoman to sexy vixen in a matter of minutes. "Wow, you look hot!"

She smiled and kissed him, "Thank you babe. You look good as well. I guess it was just a coincident that we all match each other."

He smiled coyly, "Well you know how I do it."

She turned to walk towards the garage but he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the front door, "Babe, why are we going out the front door when the cars are this way?"

"Trust me; I know what I am doing."

They walked outside to see a black stretch hummer limo waiting in their driveway. She smiled and looked at Fitz, "What did you do?"

He bounced Allie in his arms, "I am just spoiling my girls. Call this your birthday do-over if you want."

She grabbed him around the waist, "I enjoyed my birthday. It was what I wanted. You don't have to do things like this."

"But I want to. I like making you happy."

"Being with you makes me happy, Fitz. It doesn't matter if we are eating a five course meal or pizza on the couch. As long as I am with you then I am happy."

He kissed her, "Spoiling you and Allie makes me happy. So can we please enjoy this evening that I have planned?"

She kissed him back, "If it makes you happy then yes we can."

They got in the limo and sipped wine as they rode to the restaurant. Allie had fun crawling all over the inside of the car. They arrived at the restaurant a few minutes before 8. They were quickly seated. The roses that Fitz requested were waiting at their table when they arrived. It made the evening extra romantic. Liv sat next to Fitz as opposed to sitting across from him. Allie sat in between them. She was her giddy and vibrant self which made Liv happy. They had a "no work" talk during family time. It made it easy to separate the office from home and Liv loved that because work had her stressing lately.

They ordered their meals and a bottle of non-alcoholic red wine. Fitz was feeding Allie some bread and making faces at her which made her laugh.

Fitz looked at Liv who was staring at him, "What is it?"

She smiled, "Nothing, I just love watching you with her. You are a natural. My father told me that the strongest man can be brought to his knees by his daughter's smile. I just never thought I would see it with Allie."

He kissed Allie, "I love this little girl so much. I never thought about children before but now it's all I think about. I find myself picturing what you were like pregnant with Allie."

She chuckled, "Well, I wouldn't judge my next pregnancy by what I went through with Allie. Each trimester was different with her. At first I used to cry all the time because of the situation and circumstance but Abby was there with me. She would let me sleep in the bed with her. She went with me to doctor's appointments and basically supported me."

"Abby was your baby daddy?"

She laughed, "Yeah, I think people thought we were a lesbian couple but they never asked. My second trimester I started going to therapy and became more accepting of the fact that I was pregnant. Then my final trimester I was so excited to see her and hold her. Abby and I took Lamaze classes and breastfeeding classes. Abby actually videoed my pregnancy and birth experience if you ever want to watch it."

"So Abby was in there with you when you gave birth?"

She shook her head, "Her and my mom. My dad waited outside. He was man enough to play dress up and have tea parties with me but it was too much for him to see me in pain like that. So he just stood outside the door."

He grabbed her hand when he saw a tear in her eye. He tried to lighten the mood, "You mean to tell me your dad played dress up with you. I find that hard to believe."

She chuckled, "He was a pushover for me just like you are for Allie. He even wore my mother's hat and lipstick."

Fitz shook his head, "No, that is never going to happen with me."

"Never say never."

They laughed as their food came. They ate off of each other's plate and fed Allie as they continued to talk. Halfway through dinner, Allie became cranky and started crying. Fitz picked her up and held her in his arms trying to soothe her. She took his tie and started chewing on it which seemed to calm her down a little.

Liv looked at them, "I think she is teething again."

Fitz kissed the top of Allie's head, "Yeah, I think you're right. I hope it's not as bad as the last one. None of us got any sleep."

She smiled as she watched Allie chew on his tie, "You do realize that she is chewing on a $300 tie?"

He smiled at Liv, "As long as she is happy, that's all that matters."

"How many more children do you want?"

He thought for a minute, "I don't know. I never really thought of a number. I figured we would have children until we decide that we were done. What about you?"

"I always wanted three. I hated being an only child. I had no one to play with except my father. But I would be open to more than that. I can't wait to have your baby."

He leaned in to kiss her, "I can't wait for you to have my baby. Do you think I will be better than Abby?"

She laughed, "Well, as long as there isn't a David around to distract you then we will be fine."

Fitz gave her a serious look, "Why are you so hard on Abby? Sometimes we can't help who we love."

She sighed because she hated this conversation, "David is bad news. She needs to wise up and leave him alone."

"But you can't make her."

She put down her fork, "You know what? I am done talking about Abby and David. I am having a great time with my husband and daughter. I don't want to argue about something that has nothing to do with us."

"We wouldn't argue if you would stop trying to make Abby do something she doesn't want to do. It's like wanting someone to stop doing drugs. They will quit when they are ready. Abby will leave David alone when she is ready. In the meantime, she respects your wishes and doesn't bring him around when we have things going on. The least you could do is not rag on her about him every chance you get."

She closed her eyes tight for a second, "Look, I don't expect you to understand since most of your friends have the mental capacity of eight-year olds. I am just trying to stop her from ruining her life."

"Did she try to stop you from ruining your life with Jake?"

She gave him an evil stare, "Yes she did and I didn't listen. I ended up with cuts and a baby. I don't want her to make the same mistake I did."

As soon as she said the words she instantly regretted it. She promised that she would never see Allie as a mistake.

She took a deep breath, "I'm-"

"Don't worry about it." He interrupted her, "I should have dropped it when you said so. Let's just finish our dinner and go for a ride in the limo before we go back home."

She replied faintly, "Ok."

They finished their meal and rode around the city letting Allie see the lights. Liv mood was different and he knew why. He figured now would be a good time to bring up his other surprise.

"How about we take a half a day tomorrow? I want us to go away for the weekend."

She leaned on his chest, "We need to have an executive meeting in the morning and I have one more meeting scheduled but I think we can leave early. Where do you want to go?"

He squeezed her tight to him, "I want to take you to Beverly Hills. I already have a suite booked with a crib for Allie. I want to take you shopping on Rodeo Drive. I just want to spend the weekend together being a family. I like spoiling you. Can we do that?"

She kissed his arm, "Ok, just promise that you won't go overboard."

He kissed the top of her head, "I will make no such promise."

They laughed as the car drove towards Malibu. They made it into the house a little after 10 pm. Allie was cranky and sleepy.

Fitz told Liv, "I am going to give her a bath."

Liv walked towards the kitchen, "I am going to put these flowers in some water and check the mail. I forgot to do it when I came in earlier."

Fitz went upstairs as Liv made it to the kitchen to find a vase for the flowers. After placing them in water, she checked the counter where Juanita always separated their mail. She checked her stack and found a letter from the State of California Vital Records Department.

She opened the letter and found a complete adoption court order. She looked at the birth certificate and cried as she read the name ALLISON MELISSA GRANT. She looked at the section that said Father: FITZGERALD THOMAS GRANT III. She couldn't contain her emotions any longer. She held the papers and cried for what seemed like forever.

She was finally able to settle her emotion and walked upstairs. She heard Fitz and Allie in the nursery. She was crying as he was putting on her night clothes. She stood in the doorway and watched them.

He heard her but continued to put Allie clothes on, "Babe, where is her teething gel?"

She went to her drawer where she kept most of Allie's medicines and things. She walked over to Fitz and handed it to him. He looked at her as he took it from her. He could see that she had been crying.

"Baby, what's wrong? Are you still upset about the restaurant? I know you didn't mean what you said. We are fine."

Tears started swelling up in her eyes, "No, I am not crying about that." She handed him the papers, "I got this in the mail today."

They switched spots as she put the gel on Allie's gum and he read the papers. He had tears in his eyes when he realized what he was looking at.

He looked at Liv, "She's mine?"

She shook her head, "Yeah, Fitz. She is your daughter."

He picked up Allie and kissed her. He pulled Liv into his arms and kissed her. "So we are all officially Grants now?"

Liv chuckled, "I guess so."

Fitz took of his phone and placed it on the dresser. John Legend's 'So High' started playing. "I would like to dance with my family right now."

He held Allie and Liv as they slow danced around the nursery. He felt every word of the song. He felt like he was walking on Cloud 9. He had listened to this song many times before but now all the words hit his heart.

At the end of the song, John Legend spoke the truth, "This is how love's supposed to be." No truer words had ever been spoken.

When the song was over, Allie had fallen asleep in his arms. He looked at Liv, "Is it okay if she sleeps with us? I don't think I will be able to put her down tonight."

Liv knew how he felt, "Yeah, she can sleep with us."

That night, Allie slept on top of Fitz's chest. She woke up a few times because she was teething but he refused to Liv help him. She was his daughter. She was a Grant. She was Allison Grant. That meant the world to him.


	28. Chapter 28

The next day Fitz worked on getting Allie's name changed at daycare and anywhere else it needed to be changed. She was his daughter and wanted everyone to know it. He called his sister and told her the good news. She was happy for him because she knew that this was something he really wanted. For the first time in his life, he felt like all was right in the world.

He was excited about their weekend in Beverly Hills. Liv tried to argue that it didn't make any sense to stay in a hotel when they were only 30 minutes from the house but he wanted to give her the full royal treatment.

He finished his work even though he would constantly glance up the picture of Liv and Allie that he kept on his desk. It amazed him how a simple name change could make everything feel different.

Lauren buzzed him about 9:30, "Mr. Grant, your wife has called an executive meeting. Your presence is needed in the conference room."

Fitz pulled himself out of his daze and went to the conference room. He found his father, Cyrus and the new advertising executive, Jennifer, who took Liv's former position waiting in the conference room when he arrived. The only person missing from the meeting was Liv.

He sat next to his father, "Hey, Dad. How are you?"

Even though they worked in the same building, they rarely saw each other unless they were in meetings.

Big Jerry touched his son's shoulder, "I feel good, Trey. Looking forward to retiring. Cy is making me have this retirement party but I think it will be a good show of transition. I think you and Liv are ready to take over. I have faith in the two of you."

Fitz smiled, "Thanks dad. That means a lot to us."

Liv walked in the room and handed everyone a folder. She stood at the other end of the table and Fitz knew from the expression on her face that she was about to say something serious.

She took a deep breath, "We are an embezzler on our staff."

Big Jerry looked from Fitz to Cyrus and then Liv, "Are you sure?"

She shook her head, "I am positive." She opened her matching folder, "If you will turn to page two, you will see that we have been sending monthly profit checks to Dallas Enterprises for the past five years. The problem with that is we don't advertise for Dallas Enterprises. As a matter of fact, there is no such company as Dallas Enterprises."

Cyrus kept looking over the paper and taking in her words, "How is this possible? We have an annual audit every year. How is it that this was not caught?"

Liv chuckled, "Because he was good. To an average person or auditor, it looks like any other business we advertise for. The reason it caught my eye is because when I was the Ad Exec I basically knew all the companies we did business with. Further investigation led me to realize that this was a ghost company."

Fitz looked at her, "You said 'He'. Do you know who he is?"

Liv turned her paper, "On page three, you will see Randall Cobbs has been working here for 9 years. He is in charge of the Accounts Payable department. I called a friend of mine that works for the FBI in DC. The checks go to a P.O. Box which is listed in Randall Cobbs's name. The Federal Tax ID that Dallas Enterprises is registered under has him as the owner and sole proprietor. The bank that the checks are deposited in has him listed as the account holder. All signs are pointing to him. So far he has stolen over $7 million dollars. The question now is how do you want to proceed?"

Big Jerry looked up at her to see that she was looking at him. "Why are you asking me?"

She looked at Fitz and then back to Big Jerry, "Well, as of right now, this is still your company."

Big Jerry looked her, "Olivia, you have done an amazing job so far. I want you to handle it as if this was yours and Fitz's company. I personally would like to see this son of a bitch prosecuted to fullest extent of the law."

Liv smiled, "I have the FBI and local authorities already on stand-by awaiting my orders. I shall proceed from there. I also want to implement new check and balance procedures to make sure that this doesn't happen again."

Big Jerry nodded, "Do whatever you feel is necessary. As of right now, this is yours and Fitz's company. I am merely a presence for the next few weeks. I can say that I am definitely leaving the company in capable hands."

She grabbed her papers, "Okay, well I am going to make some calls. Jen, I should be ready for our meeting in about 10 minutes."

She left the room leaving everyone stunned. Big Jerry looked at Cyrus, "The best decision you ever made was hiring her." He looked at Fitz, "Your best decision was marrying her." He looked at Jennifer, "You have some pretty big shoes to fill so I hope you are up for the challenge."

Everyone was just looked at each other. Fitz knew that this was the Olivia Effect. The meeting finally ended and everyone went on about their day. Liv was finishing up her meeting and decided to call it a day. Fitz was knocking on her door as she was shutting down her computer.

"Hey Livvie, I was just checking to see when you would be ready to go."

She grabbed her briefcase, "Actually, I am ready now. I need to spend some time with my family after the week I have had."

She walked to him and he put his arms around her waist, "Just let your husband take care of you. Let's not fight about anything this weekend and enjoy being with each other."

She kissed him softly, "I think I can do that."

They decided to leave her truck at the office and they rode together to pick up Allie from daycare. Fitz was smiling like a kid in a candy store when he told them that he was there to pick up Allison Grant. Liv smiled because she happy to see how his face lit up whenever he said Allie's name.

After picking up Allie, they went home and packed a few things for their weekend away from home. They decided to do a low-key weekend which meant no fancy dinners or evenings out. They packed jeans and tennis shoes. Fitz knew that Liv was the kind of woman that could still look dressed up in jeans and tennis shoes but he especially loved the way her ass looked in her jeans.

After everyone was changed and packed, they loaded up in Fitz's Range Rover and headed to Beverly Hills. It was almost 2 pm. Fitz knew their room would not be ready until 4 so he arranged for them to go on a private city tour.

Their tour guide met them at the front desk of the tour company. His name was Jason and immediately Fitz could tell that he was taken by Olivia's beauty.

Jason extended his hand, "Hello, my name is Jason. I will be your tour guide this evening."

Fitz shook his hand, "Hey Jason. I am Fitz and this is my beautiful wife, Olivia and our daughter, Allison."

Jason shook Liv's hand and Fitz could have sworn that he saw him blush a little. Fitz knew how much Olivia loved history so this historic tour was exciting and fascinating for her.

She was having a friendly conversation with Jason at the various stops along the tour. Part of Fitz felt jealous but when he thought of his life without her, he chose not to let his jealousy bother him. He was committed to being the best husband that he could be.

Once he decided not to play into his jealousy, he noticed that Liv was very affectionate towards him. He wondered had he always been so blinded by his own mind that he constantly missed the ways she showed love to him. He realized that he had no need to be jealous. She truly loved him. She would call him babe or honey and point out things nice and romantic about certain places. She would constantly touch him or hold his hand. He was pushing Allie as they walked down the street and she put her arm around his waist almost as if she was reassuring him that she wasn't going anywhere.

After the tour, it was time to check into the hotel. The valet parked their car as the bellhop grabbed their luggage. They check-in and were taken to their suite. Allie was crawling and climbing on everything she could. Liv fell out on the bed while Fitz got a few of Allie's toys out of her bag so that she could entertain herself.

He got down on the floor with her and let her crawl on him, "Da-da. Eat-Eat." He loved how she talked and repeated phrases. She had been sucking on her teething ring and gnawing at her bottle most of the day. He grabbed her cheerios out of her bag and gave her some.

"Daddy's baby likes cheerios, huh? Daddy thought about you all day at work. I missed my Alleycat."

He leaned into her like he was going to give her a kiss on her cheek and blew a raspberry on her chubby cheeks instead. That made her giggle. She tried to kiss him but he kept turning and shaking his head no. He knew that she hated when he did that. She took her hands and slapped them on the both sides of his face holding him still long enough to give him a kiss. He loved when she did that.

They played peek-a-boo and wrestled. They played until she started getting sleepy. Fitz put her in the roll away crib and walked towards the bed. He looked and saw Liv staring off into space.

He smiled, "I thought you were asleep."

She looked at him and smiled, "No just laying here thinking."

He got into bed and put her head on his lap, "Thinking about what?"

She sighed, "Everything and nothing. " She looked into his eyes, "I was really proud of you today."

He frowned his face, "What did I do today?"

"You controlled your anger and jealousy. I saw your face when the tour guide looked at me. I have seen that reaction many times before but today you didn't go all cave man on me. I am proud of you for that."

He stroked her hair, "Thank you. It was hard at first. I didn't think you noticed the way he was drooling over you."

"Baby, just because I don't entertain it doesn't mean I don't notice when men are gawking at me. Just know that as long as you treat me and Allie right, I am not going anywhere."

He had a solemn look on his face, "Promise?"

She got up from his lap and crawled on him straddling his leg. She gave him a slow sensual kiss. She pulled him into a deep kiss as if she was breathing life into him. He pulled her tighter towards his body.

She pushed back from the kiss and stared into his eyes, "I love you so much. You talk about how you felt when I left you but I want you to know that leaving you was one of the hardest things I ever had to go through. So when I say I am not going anywhere, I need you to believe me. As long as you don't give me a reason to leave then I am here until death do us part."

He chuckled a little, "My dad told me the best decision I ever made was marrying you. I think he is right. Seeing you take command in that board room today just turned me on. I will try to be the best husband and father that I can be because you are it for me."

She gave him a kiss, "How about joining me for a quick shower? You know I get loud and I would hate to wake the baby up."

"You know I love it when you get loud."

"I know you do, Big Daddy."

He lightly tapped her butt, "I'm Big Daddy now, huh." She bit her bottom lip. He rubbed her core against his hard erection, "Well baby, if you are going to be a bear, why not be a grizzly. Let Big Daddy take care of you."

Liv jumped up to run the shower. They stripped out of their clothes and hopped in the shower.

Liv stared at him with lustful eyes, "Tell me what you want me to do, Big Daddy."

He gave her a kiss and bit her bottom lip. He pulled back from the kiss and whispered in her ear, "Get on your knees. I want to fuck that beautiful mouth of yours."

She smirked as slowly dropped to her knees. She put her hand around his dick but he pushed them away, "No hands baby. I want all mouth."

She put her hands behind her back as he guided his dick into her mouth. He thrust his dick in and out of her mouth slowly. He closed his eyes as the sensations shot through his body. "Fuck, Livvie."

She swirled her tongue around as he thrust deeper into her mouth. He grabbed her head and wrapped her hair around his hand. She took all of him in her mouth and he almost came from the sight of his wife pleasing him. His thrust became forceful as he fucked her mouth hard. His moans filled the room.

Before he came, he pulled her up to him. He took her lips in his mouth as he pushed her against the shower wall. He loved that she didn't care about her hair being wet. There were no rules when it came to them pleasing each other. He quickly dropped to his knees and threw one of her legs over his shoulder.

He wasted no time devouring her pussy. She was always amazed and what he could do with his tongue. He spread her legs wider and pushed his tongue deeper into her core. She was definitely loud. Her screams could be heard in the hall. She had forgotten that they weren't at home. He inserted two of his fingers in her core while he sucked her clit. That sent her right over the edge. Her body started shaking from her orgasm.

He didn't give her time to recover before he wrapped her legs around his waist and thrust his dick into her pussy. He kissed her before a scream could escape her mouth. She tasted her pussy on his lips and it tasted like heaven. He hit a spot that made her nails dig deeper into his back. He kept hitting that spot over and over. She broke the kiss because the sensations were too much for her to take. She tried to move but he had a tight grip.

He growled in her neck, "You are not going anywhere. You are mine."

She clawed at his back and his head, "P-P-Please."

He smiled. He loved when she begged, "Please what?"

Her eyes rolled in the back of her head, "Too-uh-too much!"

He sped up, "No. You are going to take this dick. You are not going anywhere. You are never going to leave me. Say it!"

She came again. That only fueled his fire. He put one of her legs over his shoulder. He was bottoming out in her pussy and she didn't know how much more she could take.

Moaning, panting and breathing heavy, she pleaded again, "Please b-uh-baby"

He slowed down and gripped her face so that she could look at him, "Say it! Tell me that you are never going to leave me."

She stared in his eyes, "I am never going to leave you."

He pulled out of her and released her body so that she could stand up. He turned her around, "Hands on the wall."

Her back was to him with her hands flat on the wall. He lifted one of her legs as he entered her at an angle. He gripped her ass as he thrust harder and harder. He felt his release coming but he wanted her to have another orgasm too. He reached around her body and rubbed her clit. He felt her walls contracting and he knew that she was close.

He grunted, "Come on baby. Come for Big Daddy!"

She came harder than the other two combined. His release followed spilling his seed in her. He slowly pulled out of her and she collapsed on the shower floor. He picked her up and held her in his arms. She was exhausted. He slowly washed and dried her body. He placed her in bed and ordered room service. Allie woke up as the food arrived. He fed her and they played some more until Liv woke up.

She joined them in the living room area of the suite. She ate her dinner and laid on her husband. Even though they were only 30 minutes from home, they felt like they were thousands of miles away. They watched TV and talked about everything they could think of. Bedtime finally rolled around. Liv gave Allie her bath and read to her before giving her a little medicine for her teething.

After putting her in her crib, Liv crawled into bed with a sleeping Fitz. She kissed his shoulder and rubbed his back until she knew that he was completely sleep. She kissed his head and whispered, "I love you" before she went back to sleep herself.


	29. Chapter 29

The next day was set aside for shopping on Rodeo Drive. Fitz spared no expense. He took Liv and Allie to Prada, Gucci, Burberry, Cartier, Chanel, Dior, Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo and underwear shopping at La Perla. Liv bought him a few suits in Georgio Armani and Brooks Brothers. The final place they shopped at was Lladro Boutique. Lauren had scheduled an appointment for Liv and relayed valuable information so that she could have the ultimate shopping experience.

Fitz was sitting down on the couch in the boutique playing Hot Pursuit on his phone. His attention was brought out of his game by a shrill voice he didn't care to hear again.

"Fitzgerald Grant! This is the last place I would have ever expected to see you."

Fitz looked up to see Mellie standing over him. He stood up as panic started to set in, "Um-Mellie. What-uh-what are you doing here?" He casually glanced around to see where Olivia was.

Mellie wasn't really paying attention, "You know how I am, Fitz. I don't need an excuse to spend daddy's money. The question is what are you doing here in a women's boutique? You hate shopping, remember? I could never get you to go shopping with me."

Fitz felt guilty. Truth was he just hated to be around her. He started to respond, "Mel-"

"Da-da!" Allie interrupted his explanation.

He turned to see Liv walking towards him holding Allie's hand as she slowly walked. He bent down to pick her up, "Hey pretty girl. What's wrong?"

"Eat-Eat!"

He kissed her, "Ok, Daddy got your snack in the bag." He looked at Olivia and saw that she was looking between him and Mellie trying to figure out what was going on. "Mellie, you remember-"

Mellie cut him off, "Of course, I remember Olivia and Allison." She turned her attention to Allie, "Wow Fitz, she has gotten bigger since the last time I saw her."

Fitz kissed Allie, "Yeah, hopefully she will be walking on her own soon."

"Mrs. Grant!" Everyone's attention turned to the saleslady that had walked up, "Your dresses are hanging up in the dressing room whenever you are ready to try them on."

Mellie felt the blood drain from her face. Did that woman just call Olivia 'Mrs. Grant'? Mellie looked at Olivia's and Fitz's hand and noticed their wedding rings for the first time. All of the air was sucked from her lungs.

Olivia smiled and turned to Fitz, "Babe, can you watch her while I try on these dresses?"

He gave her a quick kiss on the lips, "Take your time. We will be over here eating cheerios."

She chuckled as she walked towards the dressing room. The saleslady handed Fitz a card, "This is a number for a personal shopper if you or your wife is ever in need of one."

Fitz took the card, "Thank you."

She nodded, "Would you like another beer or some more juice for your daughter while you wait?"

Lauren had told them what particular beer he liked and informed them that Allie would accompany them so they had juice ready for her.

Fitz smiled, "Yes, thank you very much." He turned back around to a stone faced Mellie. She looked like she was about to cry but he knew that Mellie didn't cry.

Trying to form her words, "You-uh. Hmm. You got married?"

Fitz shook his head, "Yeah, we got married January 21st."

Her chest was caving, "Huh. Is that- is she the reason you haven't been taking my calls?"

"Yes. I promised her that I wouldn't talk to you or see you again." Fitz saw a tear roll down her face. He whispered to her, "Mellie, you left me for Andrew, remember."

She wiped her tear and spat angrily, "Yeah, well maybe if you had been this Fitz with me, I wouldn't have had to leave you for Andrew. Admit the truth Fitz, you never loved me."

He sighed, "No, Mellie I never did."

"Mr. Grant, here is your beer and juice." Another saleslady walked up handing Fitz the items.

He took them, "Thank you."

She looked at Mellie, "Miss Ainsworth, are you ready to start your shopping experience?"

Mellie went back into Mellie mode, "Yes, I am." She side-eyed Fitz as she walked away.

He was glad that was over with. He sat down on the couch with Allie. He gave her some cheerios and poured some juice in her sippy cup. They had started trying to ween her off her bottle by using her sippy cup more and more.

He got comfortable on the couch and sipped his beer as Liv came out modeling her first dress.

It was a beautiful blue off the shoulder floor length gown. She twirled a little for him, "So what do you think?"

His eyes were fixated on her, "It is gorgeous. I love it especially the way it fits on your ass."

The saleslady next her blushed a little at their exchange.

Liv felt embarrassed for her, "I'm sorry but my husband loves to compliment me on my behind."

Fitz explained, "You are my wife and I love your ass. There is nothing wrong with that."

Liv turned to the saleslady, "You should have seen him in La Perla when we were shopping for underwear."

Fitz spoke up, "Now, honey. Too be fair, you know that your ass is my weakness. You knew that going into the store. Don't get me wrong. I love the girls up top as well but you know how I am."

"Yes dear but you didn't have to say that my ass looks good enough to bite."

Fitz raised his finger, "To clarify, I said wearing that thong that you picked up would make me want to bite your ass all day. I can't work with you all day knowing that you have a thong on underneath your clothes. Sorry babe."

She rolled her eyes and looked at the saleslady, "You see what I married."

He interrupted again, "I also told you they looked nicer than your Victoria's 'Don't Tell Nobody'."

The saleslady looked confused. Liv interrupted, "He is talking about Victoria _Secrets._ " She turned to face him, "Which you bought for me, remember?"

Fitz chuckled as Liv walked back into the dressing room, "I love you babe."

She yelled back, "Love you too, sweetie."

Mellie watched their whole interaction and wondered who this man was. Fitz was never like that with her. She couldn't remember a time that he ever complimented her. Even sex with them was mechanical. There was no passion or anything. They rarely kissed or cuddled. They never even lived together. They never talked about married life or having a family. She didn't want any kids and as far as she knew neither did Fitz. But here he was playing the doting husband and father looking like he was enjoying it.

Liv came back out with another dress. It was a casual dress. It was a cute round neck Yellow Chiffon knee length summer dress. It was sleeveless and showed lots of skin.

She twirled for Fitz, "Well?"

He gave two thumbs up, "Beautiful. I love the dress and the woman in it."

She blushed, "Baby, you're gonna make me cry."

Allie clapped, "Ma-Ma!"

Fitz laughed, "See even Allie thinks you look good in it."

Liv smiled, "Ok, I have one more dress to try on."

"Take your time baby."

She walked back into the dressing room to change.

Mellie was giving her saleslady a hard time. Nothing she was showing her was cute or worth trying on. Truth be told, her attention was on Fitz and his newfound life. She was slowly starting to realize that the problem wasn't Fitz. It was her. She was demanding and controlling. She wanted things her way and when she couldn't get them her way, she would go to option B. Fitz was the man she was supposed to marry. But he couldn't love her the way she wanted him to. She tried to mold him to her standards instead of trying to meet him halfway. She was a cold hearted bitch. She used to love that about herself. Andrew was different from Fitz. He allowed her to walk over him. That was the only way she knew how to love. Fitz never took her shit. He had a backbone and that was what she needed. She lost the best thing that she ever had.

Liv came out of the dressing wearing a black and white long sleeve Midi Illusion dress. Even Mellie had to admit she looked good in it.

She modeled for Fitz, "What do you think?"

He shook his head slowly, "You need to wear that to my father's retirement party."

She frowned looking unsure, "Yeah? You don't think it's too much. I think it's look too tight."

Fitz shook his head no, "Baby that dress is hot. You look gorgeous in that dress. We are getting it, okay."

She gave a sly smile, "Okay. Let me put back on my clothes."

Mellie watched as he started packing up Allie's diaper bag and cleaning up the area where they were sitting. He picked up Allie and playfully tossed her in the air making her giggle and laugh. He was happy. She had never seen him happy with her.

Liv came out of the dressing room. The saleslady walked to the register with the dresses. Fitz grabbed the diaper bag and put Allie in her stroller before walking to the register with Olivia.

Liv looked at Fitz, "Which ones do you like the best?"

Fitz looked at her confused, "I thought we were getting all three."

She was shocked, "Babe, these dresses cost of five thousand dollars apiece."

He took her hand, "Let me do this for you. I love spoiling you. You looked good in all of them so we are getting all of them. I love you."

She kissed him, "I love you too but baby I don't need this. I told you that I am happy just being with you."

"I told you that spoiling you makes me happy. So can I please buy you these three dresses?"

She sighed, "Okay but I am buying dinner."

He smiled, "No you are not."

The saleslady rang up the dresses which came to over $17,000. Fitz handed her his black American Express card. He asked them to deliver them to their hotel just like everything else they bought that day.

They were about to leave when Mellie stopped in front of them at the door. Fitz really didn't care for a confrontation with her right now.

Mellie took a breath, "I just wanted to congratulate you both on your nuptials. I am glad to see that you two were able to work things out after our little mix-up."

Liv tensed up at the mentioning of their mix-up.

Fitz pulled her closer to him, "Thank you, Mellie."

She nodded, "I am glad to see that you are happy."

"I am."

She politely moved out of the way as they left the store. They ate at 208 Rodeo Restaurant.

After they ordered, Liv was playing with Allie but Fitz could tell that she had something on her mind.

"What's wrong, Liv?"

She looked from Allie to him, "Nothing."

He took her hand, "Baby don't do this. Don't shut me out. Something is going on with you lately. I know we don't discuss work during family time but you have been killing yourself and I have been trying to be supportive. I figure this little getaway would be what you needed. But something about you is off. I am sure seeing Mellie didn't help but you have been this way all day. So can you please talk to me?"

She squeezed his hand, "I don't like you spending all of this money on me."

He frowned, "What?"

She gathered her thoughts, "Fitz, I went to school for 6 years to get my master's in business and advertisement. I worked hard to earn good grades. I worked hard to get a decent paying job. It felt great when Cyrus sent a headhunter to woo me into the company. I felt like I had achieved elite status. But now I know that all it really takes is to marry the right guy. I never wanted anything given to me. I wanted to earn it. You spending all this money on me and spoiling me. I don't feel like I have earned that. I don't feel like I have earned you."

He brought her hands up to his lips, "Baby, you deserve everything and more. I am so proud of you. Not only as my wife but I am proud of the woman that you are. When I see you working hard, it makes me want to work hard. You earned me by not letting me take the easy route in life. At first, I thought that you had changed me from my man-whore ways but I soon realized that you gave me a purpose. You and Allie are my reasons for living. Your degree and hard work got you in the door so that I could notice you. But your attitude showed me that you were not easy and if I wanted you then I needed to step my game up. Everything that I have is yours and everything that you have is mine. There is no you or me. It's just us. So technically, you bought yourself those clothes because we have one account. We will be Co-CEO's of a multi-billion dollar company because you are smart enough to handle the position. Believe me; my father will give the company to you before he gives it to me."

They both laughed.

"Liv, you have earned everything you have including a husband who would give you the moon. So let's just enjoy life and each other. You earned me by making me earn you."

She kissed him softly. He always knew the right thing to say. "I love you so much baby."

"I love you too, Livvie. My Livvie."

They stayed the night at the hotel. The next day they went home and packed everything away. They ordered pizza and watch TV on the couch. Liv lay on Fitz chest and smiled. Moments like this are what made her happy.


	30. Chapter 30

Over the next few weeks things had progressed for them. Big Jerry moved out of the building. They both eventually moved to the top floor. Fitz got a new desk and happily bent Liv over it. He wanted her to know that from now on when he looked at his desk, he will only be thinking of her which made her smile.

Everything was going great for them. Liv was a little more exhausted than normal but she figured it was everything going on in her life. Fitz encouraged her to slow down and not put too much pressure on herself. She orchestrated the arrest of Randall Cobb. His face was plastered all over the evening news. She wanted to make an example out of him to their employees. Everyone was running scared for a while.

They implement new changes at the office. At the mandatory sensitivity training, Liv addressed all the employees for the first time.

"My husband and I will be taking over as Co-CEO's effective April 1st. Some of you have been here a very long time which means that you are used to things running a certain way. Well, things are about to change. Starting today, everyone will be paid equal pay according to their position. That means that if a woman is in the same position as a man, she will be paid the same amount as that man." That received applause from every woman and few men.

"Also we will set up a nursing room for nursing mothers to pump their milk. In May, we will have a 24 hour on-site daycare for every employee which will be free of charge for ages 5 and under. We will have an after-school center as well for school age children." That received a standing ovation.

"This is a family run company and we feel that as employees you should be treated like family as well. My husband and I both have an open door policy. If you feel that you are not being heard or if your grievances have not been handle properly through your chain of command, please feel free to knock on our doors. This company and every employee will treat each other with the respect and dignity that we all deserve."

She looked at Fitz and nodded, "Right now, I think my husband has a few words."

Fitz stood up. He cleared his throat, "I would like everyone to keep their calendars open for the second Saturday in May. We are going to have our First Annual Family Day Picnic filled with games, rides, animals and food. We want you to bring the kids and your families to celebrate the new direction that we are taking this company. Now, we will turn the floor over to Vicki who is the head of HR for our training."

Fitz sat by Liv and listen intently to the video. He even participated in a skit which caused everyone to laugh. The atmosphere was relaxed but productive. After work, they went home. It was starting to warm up and Fitz wanted to hang out on the beach. Allie was walking up a storm now. It was hard to keep up with her sometimes. He had called ahead and asked Juanita to prepare them a light dinner.

He and Liv rode to work together because they knew once the seminar was over, so was their workday. Liv fell asleep in the car on the way home. She did that a lot lately. Every time she got a few minutes, she would fall asleep.

She woke up when he pulled in the driveway. He got Allie out as they went into the house. Juanita was preparing a taco salad for them.

She smiled as they came into the kitchen, "Good evening, Grants. How was your day?"

Fitz loved when she called them Grants, "It was nice. It was a training day so nothing big. How are things around here?"

"Everything is great. I have your dinner right here. You mail is over there and your father sent another package for Allie."

Fitz rolled his eyes and chuckled. Big Jerry has been sending Allie toys and clothes at least once a week since she spent the night with him. She was Paw-paw's baby, at least that's what he says.

Liv checked her mail stack. Everything was fine until she saw a letter address to her from the Maryland Department of Corrections. She felt sick to her stomach. She ran to the downstairs bathroom and emptied the contents of her stomach.

Fitz ran after her and heard her from the other side of the door, "Liv, are you okay?"

Sounding hoarse, "Yeah, I'm fine. My lunch didn't agree with my stomach."

"Babe, please open the door. I hate talking like this."

She got up off the floor and opened the door. She looked like hell but he would never tell her that. He watched as she rinsed her mouth out with water.

He took a washcloth and wet it before placing it around her neck. He held her by the waist, "Why don't you go upstairs and take a nap?"

She shook her head, "I am fine, Fitz. We are going to have a nice dinner and go for a walk on the beach. That is what I want to do after I brush my teeth."

He kissed her forehead, "Ok,"

She walked back to the kitchen and grabbed her mail before walking upstairs to her bedroom.

Juanita looked at Fitz when he came back into the kitchen, "Is she alright?"

Fitz shrugged, "I don't know. She really hasn't been herself lately."

"It could be stress. She is now on the Forbes list and is about to become CEO. Not to mention, she is a newlywed and trying to adjust to married life. There is no normal."

Fitz thought, "Yeah, maybe you are right."

Fitz waited for over 30 minutes for Liv to come back downstairs but she never did. He got worried so he and Allie walked upstairs to check on her. He found her on the floor of their bedroom crying.

He got worried and thought that she was hurt, "Baby, what's wrong? Where does it hurt? I can take you to the doctor."

Sniffling and wiping her face, "I am fine, Fitz. I am not hurting anywhere except my head but that's been hurting me all day."

He sat down on the floor with her, "Then tell me what's wrong. Why are you sitting on this floor crying?"

She started shaking, "Because I am scared."

He pulled her up to him and placed her in his lap. He wiped tears from her face, "Scared of what?"

She handed him the letter. He read it and couldn't believe what he was reading. Jake was coming up before the parole board in 3 months which meant in 3 months, he could be a free man. The man that hurt and terrorized his wife could possibly be released. His wife was in his lap shaking and crying in fear. He put the paper down and just held her tight.

He kissed her hair, "It's okay, baby. I promise, I won't let him hurt you ever again."

Allie was walking around the room oblivious to what was going on, Fitz called her name, "Allie, come give mama a kiss. She needs a kiss from you."

Allie smiled as she walked over to Liv and gave her a kiss. That made Liv smile a little bit. Allie tried to give Fitz a kiss but of course he shook his head from side to side making her slap his cheeks still to give him a kiss which made Liv smile a lot.

Fitz pulled Allie and placed her on Liv's lap, he spoke in a hush tone, "Why don't we just take things day by day? We got three months to figure out what to do. Let's get through this company change. Allie has a birthday coming up in May. We have the company's first ever family day. We have a lot of stuff going on and I don't want you stressing over this or anything else. We will take it one day at a time. I am right here to help and protect you. Allie and I love you so much."

"Ma-Ma! Eat-Eat!"

Allie was hungry, Fitz kissed Liv on the lips, "Let's go downstairs and feed our daughter so we can take a walk on the beach."

Liv smiled, "I love you."

"We love you too."

X X

The Saturday before his retirement, Big Jerry had a huge retirement party. It was held in one of the rooms at the convention center. There were at least a thousand guest that attended many of whom where clients. Big Jerry wanted to announce his retirement as well as naming his son and daughter-in-law as his successor. Many of the clients already knew that Fitz would be taking over but none knew of Olivia and many did not know that Fitz had married her. Big Jerry made sure that every newspaper in town was there to cover this huge event. He watched Fitz and Liv mingling around the room. Liv's parents and friends were there as well as Fitz's boys. He smiled a huge bright smile when he spotted all three of his grandchildren. This was one of the proudest moments of his life.

Liv had grabbed Abby's hand and dragged her into the bathroom. She needed someone to mellow her out. She was stressing and feeling warm. She had issues with regulating her body temperature lately. Fitz had been complaining that she was freezing him in the bedroom.

Abby was staring at Liv as she kept fanning herself, "Liv are you okay?"

Liv shook her head, "No, I don't know what the hell is wrong with me lately. At first I thought it was stress but Abby something is seriously wrong with me."

Abby whispered, "Have you told Fitz?"

She shook her head, "No, I don't want him to worry. I need him to stay focused on what's best for the company. I just need to relax and take it easy. My body is under too much pressure right now." She put her hand over mouth and closed her eyes.

Abby looked at her strangely, "Liv, are you feeling sick?"

She opened her eyes, "Yeah but it will pass. It always does."

Abby eyes got big, "Always? How many times have you felt sick?"

Liv thought back, "Just a few times this week. I think I may be coming down with cold or something."

Abby pinched her breast. Liv yelled ouch and looked at her like she was crazy.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Abby?"

Abby put her hands on her hips, "Liv, you can't be this dense. You don't have a cold. You are pregnant, bitch."

Liv shook her head, "I am not pregnant. I had my cycle this month. Granted it was light and only lasted a day but I had it."

Abby pinched her breast again causing Liv to yell ouch again.

"Abby, stop fucking doing that. My breast hurt already without you pinching them."

"Listen to yourself. You didn't have a cycle. Most likely you were just spotting. You have been so fucking stressed lately that you are not listening to your body. Your breast hurt, you are nauseous and you are hot. I bet you have been tired and sleeping a lot more than normal."

Liv scoffed, "Of course I have, Abby. I am running a company plus I am a newlywed. I fuck my husband's brains out morning, noon and night. Wouldn't you be tired too?"

"Ok tell me this, when you fuck his brains out, who initiates the sex?"

Liv thought, "I do."

Abby pinched her breast again, "Liv, overactive hormones make people super horny."

Liv stepped back from her, "Pinch my breast again and I will fuck you up Abby. I am serious. That shit hurts." She paused, "How do you know so much about pregnancy symptoms?"

Abby got serious, "When you were pregnant with Allie, I read every pregnancy book I could find. Liv, you need to see a doctor and I mean as soon as possible."

Liv shook her head, "I am not going to the doctor for a cold. Just buy a pregnancy test and take it to the house. I will be by after church tomorrow when Fitz goes to play ball with the guys."

Abby hugged her friend, "I got your back, chick. Remember not to drink anything today. I know we are celebrating but try to take it easy. Let's go get you some ginger ale. It looks like wine and no one will be the wiser that you aren't drinking."

Liv laughed, "You always think of everything."

Abby chuckled, "I used to drink all the time and lie to my parents about it being ginger ale so I figure it can work the other way around as well."

They laughed and walked out of the bathroom towards the bar. Abby ordered her some wine and ginger ale for Liv. They were getting their drinks from the bartender when Liv heard a voice that she never cared to hear again.

"Hello Olivia. Long time no see."

She scrunched her face and turned to see Edison Davis standing before her, "Yes, I believe the last time I spoke to you, you were holding your groin in pain."

He looked at her with menacing eyes, "Oh, you mean when you assaulted me."

She shrugged, "You say po-tato and I say po-tAto. Same thing right?"

Abby stood back and observed the scene. She knew who this guy was because Olivia had told her everything that happened between them. This was Olivia's fight not hers. She was just going to chill in the cut and watch her girl work.

Edison downed his drink, "I see you are back playing the supportive girlfriend. Who knows? Maybe he'll marry you after this. I guess he won't need his daddy's approval to be with you."

Olivia wanted so much to burst his bubble but she decided to just play along, "You know why I am here. Tell me, Edison, why are you here?"

Edison smiled a big cheesy smile, "I was personally invited by Big Jerry. He wants to have one last personal business with me before he steps down. Maybe he wants to give me a position at the company."

Olivia knew that Big Jerry was not going to hire him. Big Jerry must have something up his sleeves. She just smiled politely, "Well, I hope you will enjoy the rest of your evening."

He smirked, "I certainly will enjoy watching you play the doting girlfriend or do you prefer baby mama."

She rolled her eyes and looked at Abby, "Let's go before I forget where I am and whip his ass."

She and Abby walked off to where Fitz and Jerry were talking. Fitz noticed something strange about her. She seemed off but to be honest she hasn't been herself lately.

He put his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him, "Are you okay?"

She smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes, "Yeah." She saw her parents and Allie, "I will be back. I need to check on Allie."

She walked away and Fitz pulled Abby by the arm before she could follow Liv, "Abby, something is wrong with her."

Abby decided not to tell him about the baby, "She just ran into Edison Davis." She told a half-lie or a half-truth. Either way, it distracted him.

Abby walked away and Fitz was pissed. He said to his father, "I am sick of Edison Davis. I seriously want to kick the shit out of that guy."

His father put his hand on his shoulder, "Trust me son. You can hit him after I am done with him. Go get Liv and Allie then meet me on stage. It's show time."

Fitz, Liv and Allie joined Big Jerry on stage. Allie was in Liv's arms resting her head on her shoulder while Fitz's arm was around Liv's waist.

Big Jerry stepped to the mic, "May I have everyone's attention?" Everyone turned their attention towards the stage. Big Jerry continued, "My great grandfather started this company with his life savings and a dream. He wanted to help the local store owners advertise his business to potential customers. He told my grandfather to always remember the number one rule of business which is supply and demand. He would be proud to see his $300 investment turn into a multi-billion dollar company that we are now. Grant Advertising Agency is one of the nation's biggest advertisement companies. I have had the honor of being CEO of the company for over 20 years just as my father, grandfather and great-grandfather before me. Now I am even more honored to continue the family tradition."

He turned towards to Fitz, "Most of you know my son, Fitzgerald Grant III. He has been groomed to be CEO since he was born. He is a graduate from USC and the only male heir to the Grant foundation."

He looked to Olivia, "The beautiful woman standing next to him is his wife and my daughter-in-law, Olivia Grant. She was our brilliant Advertising Executive that brought our company several multi-million dollar accounts. She has a master's degree in Advertising and Marketing from UC-Berkeley. More importantly than that, she is the mother to my beautiful granddaughter in her arms, Allison Grant."

Fitz and Olivia had smiles plastered on their face. They had no idea Big Jerry was going to do all of this.

He turned back to the crowd, "For the first time ever, Grant Advertising Agency will have Co-CEO's. I am passing the company to my son and my daughter-in-law. For the past few months, I have given them the reins and business has been thriving. So I am proud and honored to hand the company over to them. I will step back and enjoy the role of grandfather. Thank you for coming and celebrating my retirement. I also want to thank you for welcoming our new CEOs."

Everyone raised their glasses and toasted the couple. Big Jerry walked over and hugged Fitz and Liv. They posed for several pictures from magazines and newspapers. Big Jerry whispered something in Cyrus's ear before he walked off. Shareholders shook Liv's and Fitz's hands introducing themselves. So far everyone liked the new change. Liv had effectively broken the glass ceiling. She was a woman and she was black. This was a new era for Grant Advertising which was welcomed with open arms.

Cyrus nodded to Big Jerry. Big Jerry turned to Liv and Fitz, "Liv, can you give Allie to your parents? There is some unfinished business we need to discuss in the back room."

Liv handed Allie to her mother and took Fitz's hand before they walked into the back room. She was shocked to see Edison Davis standing next to Cyrus and Big Jerry. He looked nervous and remorseful.

He swallowed, "Fitz and Olivia, how are you?"

Big Jerry spoke as Liv gripped Fitz's hand tighter, "That's Mr. and Mrs. Grant to you."

Edison nodded, "Of course, my apologies."

Big Jerry stood in front of Edison, "I believe there was an incident that occurred when you and my daughter-in-law were in Atlanta. You made her uncomfortable with your advances even after she told you no."

Edison was sweating profusely, "Yes, sir. I meant no harm to Mrs. Grant."

Big Jerry smirked, "Well regardless of what you meant, you caused her to be upset. One of my last dealings as CEO was to make a deal with Coca-Cola. Grant Advertising will continue to do business with them with Olivia personally handling their account but I had one condition. They agreed to that condition with no issues."

Edison was super nervous, "Wh-what condition?"

He stepped back from his face and looked at the group, "Edison Davis, you are fired and effectively blackballed in the advertising community. I have personally made sure that no one will ever let you represent them again."

Edison frowned, "What?"

Big Jerry looked at him, "You fucked with the wrong woman and that means you fucked with the wrong family."

Edison was angry. He grit his teeth at Olivia, "You bitch-"

Fitz threw a right hook across his face knocking him to the ground. He stood over him, "You will not disrespect my wife." He looked at Cyrus, "Have security escort his ass out and if he comes near my wife again, I want him arrest on site."

Cyrus nodded, "Yes sir."

Fitz and Liv hugged Big Jerry. He always stood up for his family when it mattered. They went back to the festivities. Cameras flashed as he formally signed his shares and the business over to Fitz and Olivia.

They did a quick interview for Forbes Magazines and posed for a few pictures with Allie. The title of the piece was going to be called, "Access Granted!"

They were exhausted when they made it home. Everyone fell asleep in no time. The next morning they went to church with Liv's parents like they usually did on Sundays. Afterwards, Fitz picked up Leo and went to play ball with the guys.

Liv and Allie went to Abby's house. She had purchased the pregnancy test. Liv was super nervous. She took the test. They sat on the couch and made light conversation waiting on the timer. When it went off, Liv asked Abby to check because her nerves were not ready.

Abby came out the bathroom. Liv looked at her face and automatically knew, "I'm pregnant."

Abby shook her head, "Yeah." Liv sighed. Abby sat next to her friend, "Are you going to tell Fitz?"

Liv thought a moment, "I want to go to the doctor first to make sure. I don't want to get his hopes up. I also want to make sure that everything is okay."

Abby took her hand, "Whatever happens, I got your back."

Liv hugged Abby, "I know. I just can't believe it happened this soon. I just went off my pills in January."

Abby looked at her, "Liv you were only on them for a few months. You started taking birth control a month before you met Fitz remember."

Liv smiled at her observant friend, "You're right." She looked at Allie walking around the house, "Two of those, huh."

Abby laughed, "Yeah, it looks like it."

They decided to chill out and watch movies until Liv and Allie went home. Fitz came home with take out. They cuddled on the couch and watched 'Dreamgirls'. Liv always made Fitz watch some type of cartoon or musical like Grease 1 & 2 or Hairspray. He didn't really care. He just loved family time. Liv thought about how their lives were about to change. She would forever be connected to Fitz, her husband and soulmate.


	31. Chapter 31

Fitz was sitting in Dr. Saul's office on the Thursday before the company's first Family Day Picnic. It was the second week in May and it has been over a month since he and Liv took over the company. He has been extremely busy lately and had to reschedule his therapy sessions. It has been two weeks since he has had a session and today he really needed one.

Fitz was fidgeting in his seat as Dr. Saul took out his notes. He looked over them for a minute, "Well Fitz, it's been two weeks since I last saw you. How are things going for you?"

Fitz thought for a minute. He was about to say something he never wanted to say in his life, "I think my wife is having an affair."

Dr. Saul stared at him as he made this startling revelation, "Okay. What makes you think that?"

Fitz started shaking his hands, "She is different. She has been acting strange for the past month and now she has become distant like she doesn't want to be around me."

He wrote a note, "Tell me how she has been acting."

Fitz sighed, "I think the takeover has caused her a great deal of stress. She has been sleeping in the evening more than usual. She hasn't been eating. She has mood swings. She is hot all the time. My bedroom feels like an icebox. All of that I could deal with but now she comes home late even though she leaves work before me. When I ask where she has been, she says that she was either at her parents' or Abby's house. When we are at work, she is strictly professional. She calls me Mr. Grant. She will send her assistant to my office if something needs to be signed. She is always busy when I ask her out to lunch. She just doesn't want to be around me anymore."

Dr. Saul wrote another note, "How is your sex life?"

"It was great at first. Even with the stress, she was insatiable. We would have sex morning, noon and night. We had sex all over both of our offices. It was like she couldn't get enough. Then we just stopped cold turkey. She was no longer in the mood."

Dr. Saul looked at Fitz, "Have you tried talking to your wife?"

Fitz shook his head, "Yeah but she says that she is tired and not in the mood to talk. Or she acts like I am bothering her. I feel like she is trying to pick a fight with me and I won't give in to her."

Dr. Saul thought for a minute, "When did the sex stop? When did she start pushing you away?"

Fitz thought for a minute, "I would say about two weeks ago."

"What specifically happened two weeks ago?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. I thought everything was fine between us."

"Okay, think about the last day you two talked or had a normal interaction. What happened that day?"

Fitz closed his eyes to think back to that day, "We went to work like it was any other day. We had great sex that morning. She woke me up jumping my bones. We had lunch with our executive staff to discuss a merger that we are looking into."

Dr. Saul interrupted, "Was that lunch normal?"

Fitz nodded his head, "Yeah, I guess. She was late because she stepped out of the office to go somewhere. Her assistant just said she was out and would meet me at the restaurant."

"What about her behavior? Did you notice something different or strange?"

Fitz thought harder, "Now that you mention it. I ordered her some red wine because I know she likes to drink it especially since she has stopped breast feeding our daughter. But she never touched it. She just sipped water. She ordered a salad but barely ate it. I asked if she was okay and she said that she had a headache which wasn't unusual because she had been having a few headaches lately."

He made a note, "Ok what happened the rest of the evening?"

"We decided to do the merger which we knew was going to be more work. When we got home, we had dinner together with our daughter."

"What was dinner like? What did you talk about?"

Fitz cleared his throat, "I brought up the subject of wanting to wait a year before we try to have a baby."

Dr. Saul was stunned by his admission, "Whoa, whoa. What?"

Fitz clarified, "Before we got married, we decided that we would try to have a baby. She got off birth control and we were actively trying. I figured with the stress of the takeover and this new merger that it would be in our best interest to wait."

"How did she take it?"

He shrugged, "She said, 'fine, if that's what you feel is best'."

Dr. Saul laughed, "That's what she said."

Fitz was confused, "Yeah, why?"

"Because when a woman says fine, it's never fine. You made a life changing statement and there was no discuss whatsoever. Tell me this. Did you have sex that night?"

Fitz shook his head, "No, she said she was tired."

"Is that the only change you have noticed?"

He shook his head no, "She acts like she doesn't need my help when it comes to our daughter. She gives her baths and changes her. She doesn't give me a chance to get her if she cries at night. My daughter turned one last week and I swear my wife acted like I wasn't even there. I tried to take the presents to the car, she said, I got it. Everything I try to do, I got it. I don't know what to do."

Dr. Saul put down his paper and leaned forward looking at Fitz, "Do you love your wife?"

"More than anything."

"Then it's simple. FIGHT. FOR. HER."

Fitz repeated his words, "Fight for her."

Dr. Saul shook his head, "Yes. You have got to have a conversation with her. Make her talk to you. If she wants an argument then give her one because the truth comes out in anger. Fight fairly. Don't bring up the past or things that will hurt her. You need to figure out what is going on in her head. If you love her then you need to fight for her."

"Fight for her. Okay. I will."

They stood and shook hands, "See you next week, Fitz."

"Yeah doc."

It was after four when he left. Fitz went home and planned a surprise dinner for his family. He set a candlelit table with Allie's highchair to the side. He cooked an elegant meal and waited patiently for his family to come home.

Time slowly ticked away. Pretty soon it was seven o'clock and he had not heard or seen Liv. He called her cell but it would go to voicemail. After the third call, he left her a message.

"Hey, it's me. I was just wondering when you were coming home. I cooked dinner and I thought we could have a family night like we used to. Please call me back soon. I am worried about you."

He never received a call back. He was about to go look for her when he heard her car pull into the garage. He looked at the clock and saw that it was 8:35 pm. His first thought was 'where the hell had she been?'

His mood changed for worry to anger. He was done with her shit. If she wanted a fight, then tonight she would get one. He walked out to the car to grab a sleeping Allie from her car seat.

Liv tried to stop him, "I got it."

He continued to unbuckle Allie from her seat, "I can get my own damn daughter out of the car."

Liv knew that he was angry so she just let him do it. She went into the house before him. She walked into the kitchen and saw everything he had done. She felt bad but she had her reasons. She walked to the bedroom while he put Allie in her room. She pulled her pajamas out of her drawer and placed them on the bed.

She went to check on Allie as Fitz was placing her in her crib. He saw her standing in the doorway out the corner of his eye as he stared down at his daughter, "Are you hungry? I cooked dinner tonight."

She shook her head, "No, we had dinner at Abby's tonight."

He turned to face her, "So you were at Abby's? Again?"

She rolled her eyes and walked out the room, "That's what I just said."

He turned on the monitor and followed her into the bedroom. She was grabbing her pajamas and going into the bathroom. "What are you doing?"

She turned to face him, "What does it look like I am doing? I am going to take a shower and then I am going to bed."

She closed the door to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Fitz looked around the room and saw her phone on her night stand. It was turned off and he wondered why she would turn off her phone. He turned it on and saw that she had two voicemails waiting for her. He wondered who the other one was from.

He punched her code to unlock her phone. They only locked their phones to keep Allie from calling people when she played with them. They both knew each other's code. They had no secrets between them or so Fitz thought.

He put the phone to his ear and listened to the voice message that was sent before his.

It was a woman's voice, "Hello, Olivia. It's Tammie from Jefferson Realtors. I wanted to let you know that there is a new house on the market that I think you might be interested in. I know you haven't liked any of the ones you have seen so far but I think you will like this one. It has a huge backyard like you want. It would be perfect to put a swing set for your daughter. Give me call so we can make an appointment to view it."

Fitz hung up the phone. His emotions were all over the place. It was a mixture of hurt, anger and anxiety. He just sat on the bed clutching her phone in his hands.

She emerged from the bathroom dressed in her pajamas. He didn't hear when the shower stopped running. To be honest, the last few minutes were a total blur to him. He turned to see her coming out of the bathroom door.

"You're leaving me?" His voice came out of nowhere. It sounded cold and void of emotions.

She tried to play cool, "What?"

He stood up from the bed. His eyes were colder than his voice, "Don't play dumb with me, Olivia. We both know you are way too smart for that." He held up her phone, "You have a voicemail from your realtor. Apparently you are looking for houses and since I have no idea about it, I just assume that you are leaving me. Tell me I am lying."

She stared at him for a moment before she spoke, "No, you're not lying."

He walked closer to her, "Why?"

It was a simple question but it was fully loaded. She sighed, "We just want different things now."

His anger boiled over and he threw her phone against the wall shattering it into pieces, "That's bullshit! _You_ want different things. I just want my wife to love me and want to be with me."

Liv took a step back from him, "Things have changed for us."

Fitz yelled, "WHAT'S CHANGED?!" He put his face in his hand to calm his voice down, "What's changed, Liv? The last thing I knew we were doing fine. We had the takeover and the merger. I made a suggestion that we wait a year to have a child and boom, all of a sudden, my wife doesn't want to be with me anymore."

Liv back up into the wall. Tears were threatening to come down her face.

Fitz kept walking towards her, "You met someone else? Is that it?"

She shook her head, "No, there is no one else."

He wanted to smile at that thought but he still didn't know why she was leaving him, "Why then Liv? You act like you don't want to be here. You won't let me anywhere near my daughter-"

Liv tried to walk past him, "She is not your daughter."

He grabbed her arm as she passed and put his finger in her face. He gritted his teeth, "Don't you _ever_ say that to me again. As a matter of fact, don't say that shit out loud. That's _my_ daughter." This was the angriest she had ever seen him.

She wasn't backing down, "No, Fitz that is my child. I carried her and I birth her. I wouldn't want her to a distraction to you and precious company." She yanked her arm away from him.

"I never said she was a distraction."

Liv stood by the bed, "No, Fitz, you're exact words were 'we should wait a year before we have a baby. We don't need any more distractions.'"

He closed his eyes at his words, "I didn't mean that Allie was a distraction. I just meant future children would be a distraction right now."

Tears started to flow as she stood toe to toe with him, "And what am I supposed to do with the baby I am carrying now? Am I supposed to have an abortion so it doesn't become a distraction?"

Fitz was taken back by her words, "What? What do you mean?"

She wiped a tear, "I'm pregnant, Fitz."

Fitz was left stunned with his mouth open. He slowly walked over to the bed and sat down. Trying to find his words, "How-When?"

Liv wiped another tear from her cheek, "I am eight weeks. I found out two weeks ago. I was late for the business lunch because I went to the doctor."

Fitz slowly shook his head, "Why didn't you tell me?"

She blew a breath through her teeth, "I was going to tell you that night but you said we should wait. So I figured that if I told you then you would want me to have an abortion and I am not doing that. Then I thought about the last guy that wanted me to have an abortion and when I refused he tried to kill me. So I started looking for places to raise my children. I needed to learn to stop being dependent on you. You might not want this baby, Fitz, but I am keeping it."

Fitz quickly walked to her and kissed her. It was a deep and forceful kiss. She pulled his body into hers. She missed him so much. Their tongues wrestled as they almost swallowed each other. They pulled away breathing heavy and gasping for air.

He closed his eyes and rested his head on hers, "I want this baby more than anything. I would never in a million years ask you to get rid of it."

He dropped to both of his knees and lifted her shirt exposing her stomach. He placed small kisses on her stomach. She ran her hands through his hair. She felt water on her stomach and looked down to see him crying. He pulled her stomach closer to his face. He spoke in a whisper, "Please don't leave me, baby. Don't take my children from me. I promise that I want this. I want all of this. I want you and my children. I want this baby."

Liv let out a breath that took the weight of the world off her shoulders. They stayed like that for a while. He continued to hold her and kiss her belly while she rubbed his head. He slowly stood up. He put his head back against hers. Her hands wiped his tears as he held her around her waist.

She moved her head to the crook of his neck, "I'm not going anywhere."

He picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bed. He gently laid her down in the middle before climbing in the bed with her. He hovered over the side of her, "Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

She smiled because he was genuinely concerned, "I am fine, baby. I could have walked to the bed. I was only two feet away."

He looked nervous, "It's okay baby. You didn't have to. I am right here to do whatever you need me to do."

She took his face in her hands, "I have missed my husband like crazy. The only thing I need you to do is to make love to me."

He touched her delicately, "Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you."

She rubbed her thumb across his lips, "I am sure and you can be as rough as you want. I just need my husband inside of me."

He quickly dove into her mouth. He was filled with desire and lust. He needed her and she needed him. He sat her up on the bed as they removed each other's shirt. He placed kissed on her jaw and neck. She was so turned on by the touch of his lips on her skin. It had been so long since they had been intimate. Her pussy was throbbing between her legs. She almost came from the sheer touch of his hands on her body.

He kissed his way down her chest. Stopping at the space in between her breast. He slowly moved to the right breast alternating between licking and sucking. He lightly nibbled on her breast which made her jump in pain.

He pulled back from her body, "I'm sorry baby."

She shook her head, "It's okay. They are just slightly sensitive and sore. I am fine."

He moved back to her neck kissing the spot he knew would drive her crazy. She moaned and gripped his head as he sucked her neck for dear life. He removed her pajama bottoms and underwear leaving her naked beneath him.

He put his hand between her legs opening up her core. She was so wet and he was just getting started. He inserted two fingers slowly which caused her to moan out loud. He was testing her to see if she was ready for him. He pumped slowly in and out of her.

She moaned and clawed at his back. He whispered in her ear, "You like that? Is this what you want?"

She banged her hand on the headboard and groaned, "Oh God!"

He smirked, "I asked my wife a question? Is this what you want?"

She closed her eyes tightly as he curved his fingers going deeper, "No, I want you."

His voice dropped an octave to a slow seductive tone, "Tell me then. You know what I want to hear."

She bit her bottom lip before speaking, "I-umm-I want you, Big Daddy."

He kissed her lips, "That's my girl."

He quickly discarded his pants and underwear before lining himself at her entrance. He teased her by rubbing up and down her core getting her juices on his tip. He stared at her, "This is how it's going to work. Keep your eyes open and on me. If you closed them, I will stop. Okay."

She knew he needed this. She had scared him and now he needed control. She nodded in agreement. He slowly pushed inside of her causing her to gasp and close her eyes.

"No baby. Eyes open!"

Her hands hit the headboard as he slowly filled her up. She opened her eyes staring into his.

He had an intense look in his eyes. She knew that she was in for it tonight. He started slowly gripping her hips as he went deeper. She moaned as he hit her spot. He wanted her to feel every stroke. He grunted at her tightness.

He kept her hands over her head holding them with one of his. He lifted one of legs over his shoulder which allowed him to go deeper than before. She screamed as the intensity was becoming too much. She came closed her eyes as she exploded with pleasure.

He stopped moving as he allowed her to come down from her high. She gasped and panted as she slowly opened her eyes again.

He gave her a sinister smile, "Are you okay?"

She took a deep breath, "Yeah, I am great."

Still smiling, "Good cause now I am going to fuck you."

He gripped her legs and pulled her down towards the foot of the bed. He grabbed her hips and thrust hard into her. She tried to move but he held her in place.

He shook his head as he thrust harder and faster than before, "You're not going anywhere. This is my pussy. Give it to me."

She screamed and moaned in pleasure. The more she moaned the harder he fucked her. He threw both legs over his shoulder and leaned over her body. He pushed his body up where he was basically standing up in her pussy.

She screamed, "OH GOD! Fuck me, Big Daddy!"

He pounded harder to the point that the bed was walking from the wall. He fucked her like his life depended on it.

She gripped the sheet, "I-I'm cumming!"

"Cum for me baby. Make me cum with you."

Her muscles gripped tighter around his dick as she came bringing him to the edge with her. After a few minutes of heavy breathing, he pulled out of her and rolled to her side. They laid in silence until Allie started crying in the monitor.

Liv started moving to get up when Fitz stopped her, "I got her."

He put on his boxers and went to check on her. She usually only woke up once or twice a night now that she was getting older. He picked her up and took her down to the kitchen to refill her sippy cup. He grabbed a bottled water for Liv and walked back to Allie's nursery. He placed her in her crib with her cup knowing she would go straight back to sleep.

He walked into the bedroom to find Liv exactly where he left her. He climbed into bed, "Here baby. I brought you some water."

Liv sat up and drunk a few swallows. Fitz had a few sips before snuggling up against each other. He spooned her from behind resting his hand on her stomach. He drew patterns and continuously rubbed her. She rubbed her fingers up and down his arms giving him the reassurance that she knew he needed.

He kissed her hair, "I love you so much."

She smiled, "I love you too."

He squeezed her tighter, "I am so happy that you are having my baby."

"Me too."

He kissed her again, "Go to sleep. You need your rest."

She yawned, "Ok."

Within a few minutes she was asleep. Fitz was too anxious and nervous to go to sleep. He grabbed his IPad and downloaded "What to Expect when You're Expecting?" He spent most of the night reading. He kept his hands on Liv's stomach. It was his way of knowing that she was there and reassuring her and him that this was what he wanted. He googled things that would help with morning sickness, headaches and mood swings. He sent a text to Juanita asking her if she wouldn't mind picking a few things from the list he sent her before she came into work. He finally fell asleep around 3 am cuddling with his wife. Everyone slept through the night including Allie. Their lives were definitely about to change.


	32. Chapter 32

The next morning, Liv woke up refreshed and renew like she had slept for hours. It wasn't until she looked at the clock on her nightstand that she realized she had indeed slept for hours. It was now 10 am and she should have been at work two hours ago.

"Fuck!" She screamed throwing the covers off her. Just as she was about to jump out of bed, Fitz walked into the room.

"Uh, uh! You are not going anywhere!" He walked into the room wearing his pajama bottom and a tank top.

She looked at him confusingly, "Baby, it is 10 am on a Friday. Why are we not at work?"

He sat down on the edge of the bed, "I called in for us. You needed some rest."

She was touched, "Babe, I appreciate your concern but tomorrow is family day. We need to make sure all the vendors are setup properly and everything is running smoothly. Plus we had meetings scheduled for this morning and evening. We can't just bail on all of that."

He took her hand, "We can and we did." Seeing the look of worry on her face, he decided to put her mind at ease, "I canceled the meetings and gave everyone at the office a half day with a full day's pay. Stephen and the guys are at the park with the vendors making sure everything is going okay. If they have any issues, they will call me. Your parents will be here later to stay the night with us. Allie is with my father. He has all the grandkids for a fun filled day with granddad."

She looked around trying to process what he said, "So we have a free morning?"

He shook his head, "Yeah." He took his phone out of his pocket and handed it to her, "Abby called to check on you. She couldn't reach you on your phone so she called me. I told her that you were asleep and you would call her when you wake up."

She looked at her nightstand, "Where is my phon-" She remembered their argument last night and him breaking her phone. She saw the look of shame on his face.

He sighed, "I got Lauren bringing you a new phone. In the meantime, you can use mines to make whatever calls you need. I will be right back." He never made eye contact with her as he walked out of the room.

Liv called Abby and assured her that she was okay. Abby was happy and relieved to hear that she was getting some rest. Liv told her that she would call her if she needed her. After that, Liv decided to call her voicemail and listen to her messages. Most messages were from Abby being worried about her. Her mother had left a message. She listened to the one from the realtor but her heart ached when she heard the one that Fitz had left the night before. She had worked hard at avoiding him that she didn't realize how much she was hurting him. She felt awful.

The door opened and Fitz walked in carrying a tray full of things. She was shocked, "What is all of this?"

He sat the tray down on the nightstand before taking his place back on the edge of the bed, "This is all for you. I got you some Tylenol in case you have a headache. I read that they are safe for the baby. I brought you some toast with strawberry jam. I had a lengthy conversation with Abby about what things you liked and didn't like when you were pregnant with Allie. She said you hated eggs and that pregnancy heighten your food allergies which means no seafood at all. She also told me that drank a lot of green tea to help with morning sickness so I brought you some."

She looked at the items on the tray then she saw that he was deep in thought, "What is it?"

He looked at her with soft apologetic eyes, "I was just thinking about the terrible husband I have been. I was making you green tea for your morning sickness and then I realized that I don't even know if you are having morning sickness. If you are then I don't know how often or when it normally occurs. I spent most of the night reading that expecting book. It was mentioning all the pregnancy symptoms and that made me feel worse because I have noticed those symptoms in you but I just assumed it was stress from the job. I should have made you go to the doctor. No, no, I should have _taken_ you to the doctor. I failed you as your husband and father of our kids. I made you feel like you had to go through this alone and I am so ashamed of that."

She sat up in the bed on her knees revealing her still naked body from last night. She pulled him into the bed placing his back on the headboard. She climbed into his lap straddling him and holding his face in her hands. They sat face to face looking into each other's eyes. She spoke in a whispered tone, "Listen to me. You did not fail me. If anything, I gave up. I knew I was pregnant at your father's retirement party."

He frowned at her revelation, "But you were drinking champagne."

She shook her head, "No, it was ginger ale. It looked like champagne because I didn't want any questions about why I wasn't drinking." She knew that he should be mad that she deliberately lied and deceived him. He needed to know the truth. "I took a pregnancy test at Abby's house the next day which confirmed that I was pregnant but I still chose to hide it from you. I was really going to tell you that night after I found out from the doctor but when you called our children distractions that really hurt me."

He grabbed her tighter around the waist, "I'm sorry baby. I didn't mean it like that."

She gave a faint smile, "I know that now. But I didn't know that then so I worked hard to avoid you hoping you wouldn't notice my symptoms. I had a few mornings when I was sick but I usually ran the shower or some type of water so that you couldn't hear me. After work, I would go to Abby's or my parents' house so that I could take a nap. I didn't want you to get suspicious about why I was sleeping so much. I didn't want you touching me on the off chance that you would touch my sensitive breast making you question why they were sensitive. I worked overtime at keeping this pregnancy a secret from you. You didn't fail me baby. This was all me. I should have told you when I first thought I was."

He knew that she was speaking the truth but it didn't change how he felt. He started speaking from a place of anger and hurt, "I thought you were seeing someone else. I thought that you didn't love me anymore. I thought you were leaving me for him. All I could think about was you letting someone else hold you, kiss you and make love to you. That tore me up on the inside."

She kissed him slowly and sensually. He exhaled when she released his lips. She slowly took his shirt off before she starts kissing his chest. She felt him relax with each kiss she placed on his body. His hands roamed her naked body. She could feel his erection rubbing up against her core.

She kissed down his body while he leaned back with his eyes closed enjoying the sensations. When she reached his navel, he was almost completely relaxed. She rubbed her hand on his erection before freeing it from his pants. She stroked it slowly earning a grunt from him. She took her tongue and ran it from the bottom to the tip before taking him completely in her mouth.

"Oh Fuck Liv!" His eyes were closed as tight as possible while he tried to resist the urge to come. Her mouth felt good on him. It was warm and heavenly. He placed his hand in her hair as she bobbed up and down on his dick. He opened his eyes to see the sight before him. It was amazing. He watched as she took him completely in her mouth which was not an easy task due to his size. He moaned and bit his bottom lip trying to keep his orgasm from ruining this perfect moment.

She took him out of her mouth which allowed him to remove his pajamas completely. She stroked his cock before sitting on top of it immerging it into her core. She rode him at a slow agonizing pace. It nearly drove him insane with pleasure.

She looked him the eye, "No one can ever take your place." She picked up a little speed, "Do you feel this? You fit me perfectly, baby. No one can hold me, kiss me or make love to me like you."

He was getting lost in her voice. She started rolling her hips making him grip her tighter. She moved towards his ear, "This is your pussy. No other man will ever be in your pussy."

That was what he needed to hear. He put his arms around her waist making her speed up her pace. He had her bouncing off of his dick as they met thrust for thrust.

He grunted, "No more secrets."

She moaned, "Okay."

He bit her shoulder, "No more running."

She ran her fingers through his hair. "No more."

He felt her tightening around his cock and knew that she was close. "Cum for me baby!"

She moaned, "Yes, Big Daddy." It was like her body was waiting for his command because she came with a powerful earth-shattering orgasm.

A few thrust later, he grunted as he spilled his seed in her. They stared into each other eyes as they came down from their high.

She whispered, "I'm sorry baby."

He knew that she was sorry for lying to him and keeping the news about the baby hidden. He could have stayed angry or made her suffer but he didn't care. He just wanted his wife back.

He smiled, "It's ok." He kissed her with the same passion that she had first kissed him. That kiss spoke more volume than words ever could. After a few seconds, he released her mouth allowing her to climb off of him and removing him from inside of her.

She took a sip of her now cold tea before settling back into his arms resting her back on his chest. She took a deep breath enjoying the moment they were sharing. His fingers instinctively made their way to her stomach. He softly traced patterns around her navel. She wasn't sure if he was doing it on purpose or if it had become second nature.

She felt bad that he had missed out on a few weeks of her pregnancy, "I don't have a lot of morning sickness."

He was shocked by her sudden admission, "What?"

"You said you don't know how or when I get sick. I don't have a lot of morning sickness like I did with Allie. Some days I am fine. Other days, it's usually in the evening or after lunch. Most of the times it's just nausea without the vomiting. That is usually why I don't eat."

He kissed the top of her head, "Ok, good to know."

They sat in silence for a few more moments. It was Fitz's turn to ask a shocking question.

"Do you want to move?"

She sat up immediately turning to face him, "What?"

His face showed a look of sincerity, "Do you want to move?"

She couldn't process her thoughts, "I don't know. Why?"

He released a breath, "You were looking for houses with backyards so that Allie could have a swing set and a place to play. That got me thinking and wondering if you wanted to move."

She took his hand, "I was trying to find a place to raise our kids without you because I thought you no longer wanted us as a family. I didn't like any of the houses I have seen because in my heart, I didn't want to leave you."

He squeezed her hand, "But you would like a place for Allie to play safely outside?"

She shook her head, "Yeah, I am not going to lie. Some days I would like her to be able to go outside and not step in sand. Right now, she just has a play area in the house. We already have to convert another room to a nursery. If we convert another one into a play room then we will be down to one guest room. If we have another baby after this one, then we will run out of rooms."

Fitz bobbed his head, "Okay, so let's get a bigger place."

She chuckled, "Baby, we can't just move."

He snorted, "Why not?"

"For one, you love this place. This was your home before Allie and I moved in. We haven't lived here six months yet. We have redecorated and spent a fortune doing it. I feel like that's throwing money away."

"I understand your reasoning but I see it this way. We are making room for our ever expanding family. I do love this house but not as much as I love you, Allie, this baby and any other future babies we _may_ have. Yes we spent money redecorating but life is causing us to change. As for money, I don't know if you have read a magazine lately but we are number 112 on the Forbes 500 list. So I think we can afford to upgrade."

She looked around, "What about this place?"

"We can sell it or do whatever you want with it."

She sigh, "Fitz, it's your house. Do whatever _you_ want with it?"

He bobbed his head, "Ok, let's give it to Juanita."

Liv smiled a big bright smile, "That sounds awesome."

He kissed her lips before tossing her back on the bed. He hovered over her with a sinister grin. "You know what else sounds awesome?"

She decided to play along, "What?"

He bit his bottom lip, "Your moans when I am eating your pussy."

She gave him a sly grin, "I thought it was your pussy."

He lifted her leg, "You're right. I think it's time for some vitamin P."

They stayed in bed until around 2. He ate her out before taking her to the shower and finishing her off. Lauren brought her new activated phone by the house. After that, they went to the park to check on the arrangements. All of the vendors were there and in place. Stephen, Harrison, Huck and Leo made sure everything was taken care of. Liv had to say that she was impressed. She also liked how Leo fit so well with the group. She hoped Abby would wake up and sees what a great guy he was but she was taking Fitz's advice not to push her.

Big Jerry brought Allie back around 4 with more toys and clothes. He seemed to overspend on her as always despite protest by Liv and Fitz. They had decided not to tell anyone about the baby until after the first trimester plus Liv was just enjoying sharing the newfound joy with Fitz. He was extra attentive. He acted like she was going to break any moment. She knew eventually it would get on her nerves but right now, she would just let him be.

Her parents came around six. Liv and her mom cooked dinner. The evening was fun and festive. The only awkward moment was when Liv said 'Daddy' and both Fitz and her father responded. Her mother conveniently coughed breaking up the awkwardness of the moment. Allie walked and entertained everyone that night after dinner as they sat in the living room. Fitz showed them all of the things and words that Allie had learned. The evening was fun and relaxed.

Liv started to feel a little nauseous. Fitz quickly noticed a change in her facial expression. He whispered low so only she could hear it, "Are you okay?"

She swallowed and shook her head, "No, I need to go to the bathroom."

"I'm coming with you."

"No, you stay. I will be fine."

He gripped her hand, "This is not a discussion. I am coming with you."

She knew that this was not an argument that she was going to win. They politely excused themselves. Liv made it to the master bathroom in the nick of time before emptying her guts. Fitz rubbed her back and held her hair. He knew he could do nothing to take the pain away but at least he could reassure her that he was there for her.

After puking for what seemed like forever, Fitz ran her a warm bath while she brushed her teeth and rinsed her mouth. He undressed her and settled her into the bubble bath. He lit candles before turning off the light. Once she was relaxed, he gave her a few minutes alone.

He went downstairs to make her some tea. He told her parents that they were turning in early due to the big day they had tomorrow. He asked her parents if they wouldn't mind putting Allie to bed and of course they didn't.

When he made it back to the room with her tea, Liv was already out of the tub. He had a look of disappointment on his face, "I was coming back to help you out."

She smiled at his eagerness, "It's okay, baby. I can get out of the tub by myself. In a few months from now, I will definitely need your help."

He sat her tea on her night stand, "I brought you some tea to help your stomach." He pulled the covers back on the bed as if he was preparing the bed for her to lie down. He was fidgety and kept looking around for things to do. Her being pregnant made him feel completely helpless.

He helped her ease into bed as if she were already nine months pregnant. He made sure she was comfortable as she sip her warm tea. He stood over her watching as it coated and settled her stomach.

She looked up at him, "This is good."

He smiled a huge smile that actually reached his eyes, "Thanks. It's decaf. I read somewhere that you are not supposed to have caffeine or something like that. So I have switched all the coffees and teas in the house to decaf. I also had Juanita get you some yogurt and ice cream. I stocked up on your favorite chips and juice. I-um-I had Lauren make sure that my schedule was clear so that I could attend your next appointment. I ordered one of those body pillows because the magazine said they were comfortable." He got to snapping his fingers, "What else? What else?"

She could see that he was trying and that brought so much joy to her heart. She brought him out of his thoughts, "Baby? Baby?"

"Yes? Do you need something? Just tell me and I will get it for you, Livvie."

She moved over in the bed, "I need my husband to hold me."

He stripped down to his boxers before joining her in bed. They got into their spooning position. He held her tight while gently rubbing her stomach. "How is this? Are you okay?"

She smiled, "This is perfect."

He kissed her hair, "Go to sleep. I will be right here if you need me."

She knew he meant every word he said. She drifted off to sleep and he followed shortly behind her. They were going to be okay. She knew they had some humps to get over but they would be okay. That was all that mattered.


	33. Chapter 33

The next morning Liv had a bad case of morning sickness which required her to spend most of the morning with her head in the toilet. Fitz sat by her side rubbing her back and rubbing a cold washcloth over her face. Liv knew they had to get dressed soon so they could make it to the company picnic in time to greet everyone.

Fitz looked at her helplessly and asked for the umpteenth time, "Are you okay?"

Her voice was hoarse and her throat hurt, "Yeah, I think I got it all out. Maybe you should go and check on Allie."

She had been trying to make him leave the bathroom for the last ten minutes. His presence and constant questioning was starting to get on her nerves.

He shook his head, "No, your parents are getting her dressed. I laid out her clothes last night. I asked her mom to get her dress when I went to make you some more tea."

She wiped her mouth with the towel, "Ok, why don't you go ahead and get dress then go to the picnic? I will be there shortly."

He shook his head, "No, I will just wait for you. I want to make sure that you are okay."

She groaned as she stood up, "I told you that I was fine. It's all out." She brushed her teeth and walked out of the bathroom into their bedroom.

She was shocked to see that Fitz had laid her clothes out on the bed as well. She turned to see him coming out of the bathroom behind her. She pointed to the bed, "You do realize that I am not a child. I am capable of getting my own clothes."

He looked shocked, "I-um-I'm sorry. I was just trying to help. You had mentioned what you wanted to wear with the company T-shirt so I just thought I would save you the hassle of finding."

She groaned and rolled her eyes as a knock came at their bedroom door. She yelled, "Yes!"

Her mother's voice was on the other side, "Your father and I are about to head to the picnic. Do you want us to take Allie?"

Fitz opened the door to speak to his mother-in-law, "Yeah, we are running a little bit behind schedule this morning. We would greatly appreciate it if you would take Allie with you."

Maya looked from Fitz to her daughter. She noticed the tension in Liv's body as well as the fact that they were both still in their pajamas. She eyed Liv, "Is everything all right?"

Liv knew that was 'mom code' for asking if she was all right. She gave a forced smile, "Yeah, everything is fine. We are getting dressed now and we will meet you guys there in a little while."

Maya looked around making sure nothing was out of place before responding, "Okay." She left and Fitz closed the door behind her. He went to his closet and put on his company shirt, a pair of short and his new Jordan's that Liv had bought him special for this day.

Liv had put on her shirt, shorts and new Converse before going to the bathroom to put on her makeup and do her hair. They eat walked around the bedroom silently not looking at each other. After getting dressed, they headed to the car. They took Liv's Range Rover but Fitz drove. He opened the passenger door for her before getting into the car.

They rode silently for five minutes before Fitz finally spoke, "How are you feeling?"

Liv spoke in a low voice, "I'm fine."

"Is your throat still hurting? Is your stomach okay? Do you want something to eat or drink?"

Liv took his hand in hers, "Fitz, baby, you have got to bring it down a few notches. I am not the first woman in history to have a baby. This isn't even my first pregnancy. I am fine. If I get hungry, then I will eat. Right now, I just want to get to the picnic, play the role of Co-CEO, and enjoy myself without my husband asking me every five minutes if I am okay. Can we please just enjoy this day? If I need you for anything, I will let you know."

He sighed, "Okay." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

By the time they arrived at the picnic, some of their employees and families were already there. They got out the car together and walked around greeting and shaking hands with people. Along the way they got separated. Liv was pulled in one direction and Fitz was pulled in the other.

Fitz bumped into Vicki, head of human resources and was introduced to her sister. "Fitz, this is my sister, Courtney. Courtney, this is my boss, Fitz."

They shook hands and Fitz asked his usual are you enjoying yourselves questions. He would constantly glance around to see exactly where Olivia was when he would talk to people. He turned his head looking for her when he spotted her taking to a guy from the mailroom and his family. He turned back around and noticed that Vicki had walked away leaving him to talk to Courtney.

She eyed him for a second before she said, "You don't remember me, do you?"

He studied her face before he shook his head, "No, should I?"

She chuckled, "Almost a year ago, we met at a club, went back to my place, had great sex and then when I woke up, you were gone. Never heard from you again and until today, I didn't know your name."

Fitz looked apologetically at her, "I am sorry. I was really messed up. I really don't know what else to say."

She could see that he was sincere, "Were you married or engaged to your wife at the time?"

He shook his head, "No, I was very much single. At that time, I hadn't even met my wife."

She took a breath, "Ok, I can deal with that. I can be a one night stand. Everybody makes mistakes. I guess my sister was right. You are a good guy."

She walked away and Fitz felt the tension leaving his body. He noticed his sister and decided to go and chat with her a minute.

Liv was on the other side of the park talking to people and meeting families. She had been smiling and laughing so much that her mouth was starting to hurt. She was having an interesting conversation with the mother of one of the women in the Accounting Department when one of the caterers politely asked her if she wanted something to drink.

She was a little parched and asked for a bottled water. As she moved on and kept meeting and talking to people, she noticed this particular caterer would ask her every few minutes if she needed anything.

She was getting tired of talking and meeting people so she decided to join her mother in the picnic area. Abby was off with Leo playing games and sampling all kinds of food. She had gotten Allie from her parents a few minutes after arriving. Her mother was eating a funnel cake when she sat down beside her.

Liv pinched off a piece of the funnel cake. Her mother chuckled, "My mom always told me that once you have a kid, you will never finish eating your own food."

Liv smiled, "You are going to finish it. I just wanted to taste it to make sure it wasn't poison."

"Well if I haven't died after the first ten bites, then it's safe to say that it is not."

Liv smiled. She noticed Fitz looking at her from across the park. She caught him looking at her a few times while she was talking to various people.

She turned to look at her mother to find her mother staring at her. She frowned, "What?"

Her mother asked her bluntly, "How far along are you?"

Liv looked bewildered, "What-?" She took a breath, "How did you know?"

Her mother smiled, "I know you. I see it in your face. But to be honest, it was Fitz that made me take notice."

"What did he do?"

Her mother chuckled, "He is a first time father. Last night and this morning when I saw him making the tea, he looked so intense like he wanted it to be perfect. Your father was the same way when I was pregnant with you. Plus he is constantly looking to see where you are. I heard him ask you a few times this morning if you were okay. He just looks worried about you."

Liv put her head in her hands and groaned, "I know and I love him for it but mom, he is driving me insane."

Just then the caterer came by again, "Mrs. Grant, do you need anything at the moment?"

Liv turned to the young girl, "What is your name?"

The girl politely answered, "Tiffany."

Liv spoke, "Tiffany, did my husband pay you to come and ask me every few minutes if I needed anything?"

The girl swallowed, "He told me not to tell you."

"How much did he pay you, Tiffany?"

"$200"

Liv turned to her mother, "You got any cash on you. I will pay you back when I get to my purse."

Her mother handed Liv her wallet. Liv checked the wallet, "Tiffany, I will give you another $200 if you will just leave me alone."

Tiffany took the money and ran far away from Liv. Liv turned back to find her mother laughing. "What's so funny, Mom?"

"First time fathers!"

X X

Fitz, Liv and Allie finally got some family time at the picnic. They let Allie jump in the bounce houses and Fitz took her down the super slide. They ate a few things. Liv didn't eat much because she didn't want her nausea to act up. She noticed the looks that Fitz kept giving her whenever she would turn down food.

Fitz talked to his boys and Liv chatted with Abby but there was still tension between the two of them. Liv was secretly upset about the caterer but this was neither the time nor the place to have this discussion.

They walked towards the front of the park heading for the stage area. They were set to make a speech in a few minutes. They passed the cotton candy stand on the way.

Fitz looked at Liv, "Do you want some cotton candy? It's not food and it's basically like eating air."

Liv shook her head, "No, thank you."

Fitz stopped walking pulled her to him where he could whisper, "You need to eat something. I know you don't want to get sick but the baby needs food and so do you. You don't need to get sick on an empty stomach."

Liv looked him in the eye, "I have eaten something. Just because I don't eat everything you are trying to shove down my throat doesn't mean I have not eaten."

"Have you taken your vitamins and iron pills today?"

She frowned up at him, "Really Fitz? You were there with me this morning when I was puking my guts out in the toilet. You have been with me most of the day to know I did not bring my purse with me out here. So when the fuck have I had time to take my pills?"

Fitz looked around to make sure no one was listening, "Don't cuss me, Liv. I was just asking a simple question. It was a yes or no question."

She sighed, "No, Fitz, I have not taken my pills. Now can we please go on stage?"

She walked off without waiting for a reply. She, Fitz and Allie walked on the stage as the band took their break. Fitz took the mic and got everyone's attention.

"First of all, my wife and I would like to welcome all of the family members that have come to enjoy this day with us and our employees."

There was a huge applause from the crowd.

"We would also like to thank our employees for working so hard to keep the company thriving and headed in a successful direction."

Applause again.

"Grant Advertising would not be the company that it is today without the driving force of our employees who come to work and give a 110% every single day. You guys are why we are the number one agency on the west coast and the number two agency in the country."

Applause and whistles from the crowd.

"Some of you guys have been with this agency for a long time. Some of you started with my grandfather and my father. Most of you have known me my entire life. A few of you have been bold enough to comment on my drastic lifestyle change but I want everyone to know that I would not be here today standing before you as Co-CEO. I would not be the man I am today without this beautiful woman standing next to me."

He turned to face Olivia, "This amazing woman has given me so much and more. She loves me beyond my faults. She puts up with me day in and day out and I know it's not an easy job but she does it. She has given me a beautiful daughter and has made my life ten times better just by simply being in it. I don't know what I would ever do without her and I pray to God that I never find out."

He turned back to the crowd, "So today we celebrate love and family. We hope you all enjoy yourselves and be prepared to make this an annual event."

Fitz put the mic back and walked towards Liv and Allie. She reached and gave him a huge kiss on the lips which was definitely met with cheers from the crowd. Even Allie clapped. They walked off the stage hand in hand as the band was coming back on stage.

Fitz took Allie from Liv's arms, "What do you want to do? They are about to shut everything down in about an hour."

She looked around and then looked at his face, "Do you want to share a corn dog?"

His face lit up with a bright smile, "Sure baby. Anything you want."

They shared a corn dog and lemonade. They said goodbye as families left. Liv wanted to wait around and make sure everything was shut down and cleanup properly but Fitz had the guys handle that while he took his family home.

Allie was sleep when they made it home around 4 pm. Liv's parents went to the mall to do some shopping before they came back to spend the night. Liv felt bad that she didn't get to spend time with them last night because she was sick so she talked them into staying another night.

Liv plopped down on the couch and put her arm over her face. She was halfway sleep when Fitz lightly shook her to wake her up.

"Here." He handed her some water and as she sat up, he put her pills in her hand.

She swallowed them and handed him back the water. She laid back covering her face. After a few minutes, Fitz joined her on the couch lifting her legs and placing them in his lap. He gently rubbed her calf.

She peeked at him from under her arms and saw that he was looking at her. "Go ahead and ask me, Fitz. I know you are dying to ask."

He said quietly, "Ask you what? I am just sitting here rubbing your leg."

She sat up on her elbows, "You know you want to ask me if I am okay? Or do I need anything? Or how do I feel? Either one of those variations." She laid back down and covered her eyes.

He spoke softly, "Baby, I am sorry if I am bothering you."

She sat up again, "It's not that you are bothering me. Baby, I asked you to take it down a notch today in the car. But instead you pay some girl to ask me every ten minutes if I needed anything. You are borderline overbearing. I am not helpless."

"But I am!" His voice raised a little startling her.

She sat up and took her leg from his lap, "What are you talking about, Fitz?"

He rubbed his hand through his hair, "I am helpless because I can't do anything for you. When you are sick, I just have to sit by and watch you puke your guts out knowing I can't do a damn thing to stop it. If something happens to you, there is nothing that I can do. I put you in this position but basically my job is done. So I have to sit on the sideline and watch this baby drain you of your energy, make you sleepy and vomit every time you smell food."

A tear ran down his face. He wiped it away, "I am sorry that I am overbearing and ask you ever few minutes if you are ok. I honestly don't know what else to do. I just feel helpless and useless to you. I don't like that feeling."

They sat in silence for a little while. Liv cleared her throat and looked at Fitz, "Okay. How about we compromise?"

Fitz shook his head, "What do you have in mind?"

"How about we make you responsible for making sure I take my pills everyday like you did today? If I am sick or not feeling well, I will let you know immediately and we can handle it together. I agree to take it easy and cut back on my hours at work as I progress along in the pregnancy. You will handle all of the heavy lifting from now on which includes Allie most of the time. You agree to pull back a little and not ask me all day everyday if I am okay. Finally, if I am tired and need to take a nap, your job is to hold me and let me know that we are going to be okay. Can you do that?"

Fitz smiled, "I can do that just as long as I can give you a warm bath and a massage every night."

Liv laughed, "You drive a hard bargain but it's a deal."

They kissed. Liv pulled back, "So can I have my cuddle buddy to hold me while I take a nap?"

"Sure baby."

They laid down on the couch and cuddle while Liv slept for an hour. Her parents came back with dinner and a movie around 7. They ate in the den and watched the movie. Liv had her legs in Fitz lap while he massaged her legs and feet. Every now and then she would catch her mother's eye and see a sinister smile come across her face.

Tonight was a good night. No sickness. They sat around and talked with her parents. Allie played and walked back and forth between her parents and grandparents. They joked and laughed when she got mad at Fitz for stealing her Cheerios.

After while Liv got noticeably quiet and finally her mother asked her point blank what was wrong.

She looked at Fitz and then her parents, "Jake is up for parole next month."

"What?" Both of her parents asked at the same time.

"Yeah, I got a letter a few months ago informing me that he is going before the parole board and could possibly be released. I called Detective Hayes the other day and he wants me to come before the board asking that he not be released. He wants me to give an impact statement. He said that he will be there requesting that he not be released as well but it would be better if I speak."

Her father found his voice, "How do you feel about that, Olivia?"

Looking down at her hands, "I don't know. I haven't seen Jake since he tried to kill me. When he took the plea deal, I was relieved because I didn't have to testify but now I don't know. His father pulled some strings to get this hearing and it's likely he will be released any way whether I go or not. I am just thinking right now. I have a few weeks before I need to decide."

Fitz took her hands, "Whatever you decide to do, I will be right there with you. No matter what."

No one said anything after that because there was nothing to say. Everyone eventually went to bed. Fitz held Olivia extra tight tonight because she usually had nightmares when she spoke of Jake. He wanted to reassure her that he was there.

About 3 am, Liv's cell phone rung on her night stand. She didn't recognize the number but she answered it anyway. "Hello?"

A woman's voice spoke on the other end, "Yes, I am with the LA County Sherriff department. I am looking for Olivia Pope."

Liv sat up in bed, "This is she."

"Ms. Pope, do you own a house with a young woman named Abby Whelan?"

"Yes, I do but I haven't lived there since I got married."

"Ms. Pope, there was an incident tonight at the home. Is there any way you can come down to the coroner's office?"

"Why the coroner's office?"

"We believe that Ms. Whelan shot and killed her boyfriend tonight before turning the gun and killing herself. We need you to identify the body."

"Oh my god! I will be right there." Liv was stunned silent.

Fitz sat up next to her, "What's wrong?"

She barely got the words out, "Abby's dead!"


	34. Chapter 34

Denial is the first stage of grief. Liv kept saying that over and over in her mind. She had basically zoned out. She didn't remember getting her clothes on. She didn't remember getting into the corvette. She didn't notice Fitz holding her hand reassuring her that everything was going to be alright.

She remembers the phone call and telling Fitz what was said to her. She called Abby's phone several times but each time it would go straight to voicemail. Now she was sitting in the car with Fitz while he was driving her to LA. She kept saying that this was a dream. She had just seen Abby earlier. She looked happy. But now she wondered if she missed some underlining sign. She was so busy dealing with her issue with Fitz, the company and the baby that she forgot about her best friend. She felt horrible. What would make Abby do such a thing?

It was 4 am by the time they pulled up at the coroner's office. Fitz helped her out of the car and held her around her waist as they walked into the office.

Fitz let the receptionist know they were there while Liv sat down in the waiting area. Her hands were trembling as the sudden realness of the moment was slowly hitting her.

Fitz put his arms around her and kissed her cheek. "It's okay baby. I am right here. We will get through this."

A woman came from the back, "Ms. Pope."

Fitz and Olivia walked into the back with her into her office. "Hello, Ms. Pope, I am Linda Johnson with the coroner's office."

Liv shook her hand, "It's actually Olivia Grant. This is my husband, Fitzgerald Grant."

Fitz shook the lady's hand and they all promptly took their seat.

"Mrs. Grant, 911 received a call tonight from Ms. Whelan's neighbors around 11 pm reporting shots fired. Upon arrival, the bodies of two people were discovered. One was a male who has been identified as David Rosen."

Olivia tensed up, "Oh my God!"

Ms. Johnson looked at Olivia, "I take it that you know him."

Fitz gripped her hand tighter as she spoke, "Y-yes. He was Abby's -um-had a relationship together." Liv didn't want to explain the true nature of that relationship but she saw the look of understanding on Ms. Johnson's face.

"Well, we were able to identify him but not Ms. Whelan. We could not find her wallet anywhere. The house had been ransacked and several things were destroyed. We determined Mr. Rosen's time of death at around 8 pm. However, Ms. Whelan's death was the shot that was heard around 11pm. We need you to confirm the identity of Ms. Whelan. You were listed as her next of kin in her hospital and private records."

Liv shook her head, "Yeah, her parents died a few years ago."

"Ok, Mrs. Grant, I am going to take you to the back so that we can confirm this and close this case of a murder-suicide."

Her breathing was shallow as she walked to the back. She didn't realize that Fitz was practically holding her up. She stood in front of the viewing window. Fitz was standing on her right and Ms. Johnson was on her left.

Ms. Johnson looked at Liv, "Are you ready?"

She nodded.

Ms. Johnson pulled back the curtain to display the body on the table.

Liv's breath caught in her throat. She would have fallen had Fitz not had his arms around her. She looked slowly towards Ms. Johnson, "That's not Abby."

Ms. Johnson frowned and looked from Liv to Fitz who was shaking his head no was well. "Do you know who this is?"

Liv felt a sense of relief sweep over her, "This is Caitlin Williams. She is David's girlfriend."

"Are you sure?"

Liv smiled for the first time in hours, "I am positive. I have met her on several occasions. If you found her and David at Abby's house, then where is Abby?"

X X

The police had issued an APB for Abby Whelan. Liv kept calling her phone but it kept going to her voicemail. She and Fitz were back in the car driving around the city looking for Abby's car.

Liv asked Fitz for the fifth time, "Have you called Leo?"

"Yes, baby. It keeps going to his voicemail as well."

She made an exasperating sigh, "Then dammit, Fitz, drive to his house or apartment or whatever the fuck he lives."

"Ok, Liv just calm down. I am driving as far as I legally can. I know this has been a stressful night but think about the baby."

She knew he was right. There was no need to get her blood pressure up. They pulled up at Leo's apartment complex and Liv nearly blew a gasket when she saw Abby's car park outside.

She was furious. She didn't wait for Fitz to open her door. "Which one is it Fitz?"

"2A, baby." He was running to keep up with her. She ran up to the second floor. She reached the door and started banging on it.

"Abby get your ass out here!"

Fitz was trying to calm her down, "Baby, it's 5 in the morning. Try not to be so loud."

She gave him a look that made him step back. She kept banging loudly on the door until Leo opened.

"Liv-"

Liv pushed past him into the apartment, "Where is she, Leo? Abby get your ass out here!"

Abby came out of the bedroom pulling Leo's house robe closed around her body looking half sleep, "Liv, what the fuck is your problem? It is 5 in the damn morning!"

Liv became irate, "Yes, Abby! I know it is fucking 5 in the morning. Do you know how I know? I know because I got a call a few hours ago saying that my best friend was dead and I needed to get my ass out the bed to identify her body. Except when we get there, it's not her! So I am happy you know what time it is. I am happy that you have had a peaceful night of sleep because I fucking haven't!"

Abby became upset, "WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM, LIV?"

Liv ran towards Abby but Fitz grabbed her around her waist, "YOU, ABBY, ARE MY FUCKING PROBLEM! Let me got Fitz!"

He pulled her back, "No, baby you need to calm down."

Liv yelled, "NO! I WILL NOT CALM DOWN!"

Fitz picked her up and pushed her down on the couch. He got in her face to get her attention, "Yes, you will calm down because nothing is going to get solved with you yelling plus you are carrying my child and it is not healthy for you or the baby. So calm the fuck down!"

Liv open her mouth to speak but thought better of it. She closed her mouth and took deep calming breaths through her nose. Fitz was watching her with intense eyes. She knew that she could not fight two battles tonight. Fitz kissed her forehead when he saw that she was trying to calm down.

Abby stood behind them watching, "Fitz, what the fuck is going on? What is she talking about?"

Fitz eyed Olivia but she gave him a nod that she was okay. He turned to Abby and Leo, "We got a call tonight saying that there had been a murder-suicide at your house. The police couldn't find any ID on the female and they assumed it was you. The other victim was David. Liv and I went down to identify you but it turned out to be David's girlfriend, Caitlin."

All the blood drained from Abby's face, "Oh my god! Poor David."

Liv had gained her composure and joined in the discussion, "Why was David at your place if you were here?"

Abby looked at Leo then she looked at Liv, "He called me after the picnic saying that he and Caitlin had an argument. He wanted to see me. I told him that he could meet me at my house. I let him but I had a date with Leo so I left him there and told him I would be back."

Fitz looked at Liv then back at Abby, "Why are you here then if you meant to go back? Why were both of your phones turned off?"

Abby took Leo's hand, "Well, we talked tonight and decided to be exclusive with each other. I decided to stay here tonight and I was going to tell David tomorrow that I couldn't see him anymore. We turned off our phones so we wouldn't be disturbed."

Liv scoffed at that remark, "Oh, well sorry that we disturbed you. I am glad to know that you got a peaceful night of rest."

Fitz looked at her, "Liv, stop it."

She looked at him, "No, Fitz. This is bullshit. I told her a long time ago to get rid of David. She didn't listen to me. Now he is dead. His girlfriend is dead. How much do you want to bet that she was waiting around for Abby to come home to kill her? What if Allie and I were still living there? There were so many things that could have gone wrong but Abby never thought about anyone but herself."

"And you did, Liv?" Abby stared at her, "When you were with Jake and I tried to get you to leave? He beat the living shit out of you. I begged you to leave him. What about the time he beat you so badly that you couldn't see out of your eye for two weeks? Remember how he beat the crap out of you Liv and dropped you off at the hospital like you were trash and you STILL went back to him. You went back even after he RAPED you. It took you getting pregnant and him trying to kill you to make you finally leave him. So give me credit for not getting pregnant before I came to my senses."

Liv felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. She stared at her friend like she had grown an extra head. Her voice was cold and void of all emotions, "Fitz, let's go."

She walked out of the apartment and got into the car without looking back.

They rode in silence back to Malibu. Liv stared out the window the entire time. Her emotions were all over the place. She didn't know whether to be angry, hurt or sad. A small piece of her was happy that her friend was alive. But right now, Abby was not her friend. Her friend had promised to never throw her mistakes in her face. Her friend wouldn't say something like that to hurt her. Right now she didn't know up from down. All she knew was that she wanted to crawl into bed and not come out.

It wasn't until the car stopped that she realized Fitz wasn't driving home. He had driven her to the park they would bring Allie to play sometimes.

She made an exasperating sigh, "Fitz, what the hell are we doing here?"

He unbuckled her seatbelt and opened his car door, "Just get out of the car."

By the time she had crawled out of the car, he was standing by her door. He took her hand and walked her to a bench in the middle of the park. It was quiet out. There were a few people walking and running around the exercise track. The sun was slowly rising. It was going to be a beautiful Sunday.

Fitz sat down and pulled Olivia down to sit next to him. He put his arm around her so that she could rest her head on his shoulder. He lightly stroked her arm. He kissed her forehead softly.

Softly he asked, "Are you okay?"

As if the weight of everything came crashing down on her, she started crying. She cried for what seemed like forever. Fitz never pressured her. He simply held her and whispered over and over, "It's alright. I'm here."

She finally stopped crying and cleaned her face with his shirt. "I'm sorry."

He took her hand, "You don't have to apologize to me. I love you so much. I love you when you are strong and weak. I know that you have been on an emotional rollercoaster. You don't always have to be strong or put on a brave face with me. It's okay to break down every once in a while. We are a team. I promise to hold you and never let you fall."

She sniffed, "I love you so much."

He kissed her, "Always."

They sat on the bench and stared off into space admiring the view and just enjoying each other's company.

After a few moments of silence, Fitz spoke, "I know that I don't ask you about your life with Jake. I don't ask you for several reasons. The first being I don't want to think about a time in your life when I wasn't in it. The second I don't want you to remember anything painful. Lastly, I don't want to think about you being hurt or in pain. But I feel like I am wrong for not asking because I should know exactly what you went through. I can't pretend that you were hurt or traumatized. If I made you feel like you can't talk to me about things, I am so sorry."

He kissed her forehead. She put her arms around his waist, "You want to know what Abby was talking about? Don't you?"

"Yes, but only if you want to tell me."

Liv sat up and pulled away from him. He took his arm from around her as she turned her body to face him. He took both of her hands into his just to reassure her that he was there.

She took a breath, "He beat me really badly. When I moved back home, I started working for a local advertising firm in Maryland. It was an entry level position. I met Jake a week later. After being at the firm a few years, I applied for a promotion. Someone quit so a new position opened up. The firm wanted to promote in-house and I applied. This was after my parents moved to California and left me the house. I had talked to Jake about the promotion and he encouraged me to apply. I ended up getting the job which meant more money. At the same time, I would have to do after hour meetings like we do now. About three months after I got promoted, I had to go to a business dinner with a few members from the firm. Jake-um-he was not happy about it. He thought I was seeing someone else. He blew my phone up with calls and text messages. I knew he was upset but I had to do my job so I didn't answer. When I got home, he was sitting in the dark waiting on me. He was drunk. I should have left then but I didn't. He was always worse when he drank. But I thought that if I talked calm and rational to him that we could get through this."

She closed her eyes as a single tear ran down her face, "I was calm and asked him about his day. I was conscious of the distance between us. I felt that as long as I didn't get too close then I was safe. He threw his glass at me, yelling at me and asking if I thought he was stupid. One thing led to another which ending up with berating me. The only reason he encourage me to seek the promotion was because he never thought I would get it. His exact words were 'I never thought they would promote a moron like you.' I walked off into the bedroom to take off my clothes. He called me the usual name, 'slut, stupid, bitch, whore.' He followed me into the bedroom and slapped me across the face."

Fitz pulled her hands to his lips and kissed them. His heart ached for her.

"He never hit me in the face before. It was always in areas where people couldn't see. That's why I was able to hide it for so long. But he lost it that night. He punched me so hard that I fell. While on the ground, he kicked and stomped me. When I tried to get up, he would knock me back down. He beat me so badly that I lost consciousness. He thought he had killed me. So he drugged my body out to his car. He drove me to hospital and threw me out of the car while it was still moving in front of the emergency room. When I came to, I couldn't open my eye. I had a broken rib, arm and nose. That was when everyone found out Jake was beating me."

She looked so helpless. Fitz wanted to take the pain of the experience away from her. His throat was suddenly dry as though it hurt for him to speak, "And you still went back to him after that?"

She looked at him with shame in her eyes, "Yes, I did."

He accepted her answer for what it was. He didn't need to know why she went back because he knew that victim usually did go back. There was a reason they call it the cycle of abuse. Most victims don't really know why they continue to go back. They just do.

He cleared his throat. He was about to say something that had been on his mind for a while. He hoped that she would not take this the wrong way, "Livvie, you have to testify. He cannot get away with what he put you through."

"What if he gets out anyway, Fitz? Then what?"

"At least you tried, baby. You have to take a stand. You have to let him know that he may have knocked you down but you are strong enough to get back up. Don't let him have any more power over you or us."

She looked at her husband and felt like her heart was about to burst. She shook her head, "Okay, as long as you promise to be there with me."

He kissed her lips, "Till death do us part."

X X

It was close to 8 am by the time they headed home. Fitz kept holding Liv's hands and kissing them over and over just to reassure her that he was there. He stopped and got her some breakfast. His focus today was her. After the night they have had, he was looking forward to just cuddling in the bed with his wife.

When they pulled up at the house, they saw Abby's car outside parked next to her parents. Fitz pulled into the garage and turned the car off. He saw the look of distaste on Liv's face.

He kissed her cheek, "Baby, just hear her out, okay."

She shook her head yeah. They walked into the house to find Abby talking to Maya. Abby stood up when she saw them come in. She looked like she had been crying. Liv's heart hurt for her friend. Without saying anything, Liv opened her arms and Abby ran to her crying.

She gripped Liv tightly, "I am so sorry, Liv. I should have never said that you. Please forgive me."

Liv rocked her friend, "There is nothing to forgive. I am just glad you are alive."

After a few moments, they joined Maya on the couch. They talked about anything and everything including the baby. It turned into an impromptu girl session. Fitz made the ladies some ice cream and brought it to them. Liv mentioned that she and Fitz have decided to look for a new place which everyone was excited about. Fitz didn't intrude on her conversation but he was never too far from her. Allie was gone to church with Eli, so Fitz had nothing to do with his time. He would maneuver from the man cave to the kitchen. He wanted to stay close just in case she needed him. He saw her yawn around 10 and felt that that was his cue to intervene.

He stood politely in front of the ladies, "Abby, I am glad to see you are alive and well. You are more than welcome to stay as long as you want. I am sure that you are not in a hurry to go back to your house any time soon."

Abby was taken back by that. She really hadn't thought about going back to her house, "Thank you, Fitz. I will take you up on that offer."

"Great. Now if you ladies will excuse us, my wife has had a rough night. I want to get her into bed so that she can rest."

Liv frowned her face and whined, "Fitz, I am fine."

He pulled her up from the couch, "I know you are but can you get some rest for me."

She playfully rolled her eyes, "Okay. Abby I will see you later."

Fitz spoke, "Tomorrow."

She rolled her eyes again. She turned to Abby, "Tomorrow." She gave her a kiss on the cheek. She turned and kissed her mother, "Mom, I will see you next week. Love you."

"Love you too, Liv. Get plenty of rest, baby."

Fitz kissed Abby and Maya on the cheek, "I can get Allie when you are ready to leave."

Abby waved her hand dismissively, "I got her, Fitz. Just take care of Liv."

They walked upstairs to their bedroom. Liv didn't even protest when Fitz helped her get undressed and into bed. He crawled into bed behind her putting his arm around her waist in the spooning position.

He kissed the back of her neck, "Can I sing to you a little bit?"

Half sleep, she chuckled, "I didn't know you could sing."

He smiled, "Only a little bit. I was thinking of this song earlier and I wanted to sing it for you and the baby."

She laughed a little, "Okay."

He cleared his throat, "Have I told you lately that I love you? Have I told you there's no one else above you? Fill my heart with gladness. Take away all my sadness. You ease my troubles that what you do."

She turned to face him. "I love you, Fitzgerald Grant!" She kissed him softly. The kiss deepened as all the stress and worry left her.

When she pulled back from the kiss, she smiled at her husband. She rested her head on his chest. He kissed her forehead, "I love you, Olivia Grant! And I promise to be here when you wake up."

They both went to sleep knowing that no matter what happens, they had each other.


	35. Chapter 35

They spent the next few weeks working and house shopping. Fitz went with Liv to her next doctor's appointment. He was in awe when he saw the baby on the ultrasound. He couldn't believe that was his baby. In a few short months, he would hold his baby. That thought melted his heart.

Liv looked at the expression on his face when they heard the baby's heartbeat. He had the look of love and admiration. It was one thing to know that she was pregnant but it was another to formally realize that she was carrying a human being. She saw the realization on his face. She knew the next few days with him were going to be hectic. She had finally gotten him to take it down a notch but she knew this was a new experience for him.

Even though he is Allie's daddy, this is his first pregnancy. She had resonated to give him the benefit of the doubt. She realized that this was her first pregnancy with a father that actually wanted the child. She decided to just relax and enjoy being pampered.

So they settled into a routine. Liv knew that he would make sure she ate lunch during the day whether she was in a meeting or not. He kept snacks and crackers handy in case she felt ill. He made Quinn buzz him if Olivia was not feeling well or if she thought something was off with her.

After work, he made sure that she rested. He took care of Allie's needs as well as her own. Dinner was usually whatever she craved or wanted. He always ended the night giving her a foot massage and rubbing lotion on her stomach.

They had finally decided on a house outside LA. It was beautiful. Liv thought they would look for simple houses but Fitz felt they needed a mansion. When she asked why?

He responded, "I want to fill it up with a lot of little Grants and I don't want to have to move every time we have a baby."

So they found a two story 10 bedroom house with 6 bathrooms and a pool with a huge back yard. It had enough garage space to fit all of their cars and was basically move in ready once the deal was closed. They immediately fell in love with the house and made an offer of $7 million. Now they had to wait and see if their offer was accepted.

Right now they were on a private jet headed to Maryland. The parole board hearing for Jake is scheduled for tomorrow. Fitz knew that Liv would be super nervous and didn't want to add additional pressure by taking a commercial flight.

The flight allowed them peace and comfortably. Liv decided to do some work to take her mind off of things. Fitz had the flight attended prepare their meal and asked her to bring them some ginger ale.

Liv looked at Fitz when he sat down next to her, "Hey, babe. I thought you were watching TV."

He put his arm around her, "I was but then I decided to come and talk to you. Our food is coming in a minute so you may want to put your stuff away."

She closed up her laptop. Then she put that and her IPad away in her briefcase clearing the table as the flight attendant sat their meals on the table. Liv looked at Fitz as he sipped his drink.

"What are you drinking baby?"

He showed her the inside of his cup, "Ginger ale. The same as you."

She chuckled, "You do know that you don't have to drink the same thing I do every time. You are not pregnant. You are allowed to drink alcohol. Get a beer or some wine if you want. It's fine."

"No, it's not fine. You didn't get pregnant by yourself. I am not drinking until you can drink."

Chewing some of her food, "You do realize that it will be almost two years before I can drink since I am breastfeeding."

Fitz choked a little on his food. Honestly he had forgotten that she couldn't drink if she breastfed. He decided to play it off, "That's fine babe. I will be right there with you."

Liv looked at him skeptically, "Right."

He laughed, "Okay. We will see after you give birth. I might take more diaper duty to balance it out. We will compromise."

She smiled, "Ok. I like when we compromise."

He laughed louder, "I know you do because you always get more out of the deal."

They both laughed because it was true. After the laughter died down, they sat in silence for a few moments.

Fitz looked at her slowly eating her food, "Have" he cleared his throat, "Have you decided what you are going to say tomorrow?"

She shook her head, "No, I keep thinking maybe I should write something down in case I see him and get emotional but I can't get my thoughts under control. Part of me feels like I should just wait until I get there and maybe the words will flow."

Fitz thought carefully about what she just said, "Can I make a suggestion?"

She nodded.

"Try writing a simple introduction and maybe outline somethings you want to say. If you get there and change your mind then go with it but at least you will have something written down in case you lose focus."

She gave him a half smile, "Yeah. That sounds like a good idea." She turned back to concentrating on her food.

Fitz wanted to distract her, "So what's going on with work?"

She gave him a genuine smile then. He knew how much pride and joy she took in her work, "The merger is almost complete. I got an email from Nike _and_ the NFL. Nike wants us to pitch them a new ad campaign because they are looking for new representation. They remember me when I work with him at my old company. The NFL wants to do a contract with us to produce some of the Super Bowl ads. If that goes well, we may be looking into doing the same thing for our clients during the Olympics and World Cup. We are going to break into a new area that will separate us from other firms and put us over the top."

Fitz was taken back by this revelation, "Wow! That is amazing. You are a brilliant and remarkable woman."

She was stunned by his words, "Really? You think so?"

"Baby, I know so. My father was right. Marrying you was the best thing I ever did. I could have never accomplished all that you are doing now. My job of running the internal part of the company is simple compared to yours and I get such joy and excitement watching work. That is phenomenal babe." He leaned over and kissed her cheek, "So proud of you."

The flight attendant interrupted them, "Mr. and Mrs. Grant, do you need anything else?"

Fitz looked at Liv, "Babe, do you need anything? I asked them to get that chocolate ice cream you were craving last night in case you want some."

Liv looked at the flight attendant, "No thank you. I am fine."

She walked away and they had a light conversation about Allie and the baby. Fitz made jokes that made her laugh. After lunch, she went into the back of the plane to take a nap. When she awoke they were landing. A rental car was waiting and instead of going to the hotel, Liv decided to take Fitz to see some DC highlights.

They took pictures in front of the White House, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Memorial, King Memorial and other historical sites. Liv took him by her old stomping grounds. They had dinner at one of her favorite restaurants before checking into the hotel and calling it a night.

They had sex and fell asleep. Sometime in the middle of the night, Liv awoke and went to the sit at the desk in the living room of the suite. She was extra quiet not wanting to disturb Fitz's sleep.

She took out a paper and pen from her purse. She gathered her thoughts and wrote the words: _My name is Olivia Grant. I am the victim in this case…"_ She took Fitz's advice and wrote down an outline on things she wanted to discuss. After writing for 30 minutes, she turned off the lamp and went back to bed.

Fitz curled into her as she climbed under the covers. He kissed her on the neck, "Don't worry baby. You will do great. I will be right there."

He placed his hand over her stomach and she placed her hand over his. She slowly and peacefully drifted off to sleep.

X X

Liv put on her short black and white Maxi dress with her black and white heels. She wore her hair straight and looked very poised and professional with a hint of sexiness. She and Fitz arrived at the correctional facility and went through the standard check-in. The first person she met was Detective Hayes and a sense of relief washed over her.

He walked up to her and gave her a hug, "How are you doing, Olivia?"

She sighed, "I am doing good. Detective Hayes, this is my husband, Fitzgerald Grant."

The two men shook hands. Detective Hayes looked at both Olivia and Fitz, "I am going to try my best to make sure this scumbag doesn't see the light of day. I found out that his parents are here. His father is thinking about making a presidential bid and it wouldn't look good with his son in jail so he was able to get his son this hearing. I am not going to lie. We have our work cut out for us. There is no telling what types of back room deals have been made but we can do our best to make sure the panel knows exactly what type of monster he is."

Olivia took a deep breath as the magnitude of the situation hit her. Fitz gripped her hand and lifted it to his mouth. "It's going to be okay, babe."

She shook her head and reminded herself to breath. They took a seat in the waiting area. Jake's parents came in the room. They made eye contact with Olivia and Fitz but neither made an attempt to speak.

After a few moments an officer came to the door, "Anyone here for the hearing of Jacob Ballard?"

Slowly everyone got up and made their way into the hearing room. Olivia and Fitz sat in the back on one side with Detective Haynes. Jake's parents sat on the other side. Olivia's hands started shaking when she saw Jake walk into the room in a prison jumpsuit in handcuffs and shackles. He sat down at the table with his lawyer. He turned and nodded to his parents.

Liv's head was down looking at Fitz's hands that covered hers in her lap so she didn't see when Jake glanced her way but Fitz did. He tightened his grip and whispered in her ear, "You don't have to be afraid of him. I will protect you, okay."

She looked up at him and whispered, "Okay."

The hearing got started and Jake's lawyer did most of the talking. When the panel of three members asked to hear from Jake, he stood up and addressed them. He had a look of arrogance and smugness that rubbed Fitz the wrong the way.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the panel, I want to say that I am sorry for the embarrassment that my actions have placed on my family. Every day I wake up behind these prison walls and I am reminded of the disappointment and hurt that I have caused my family. I know they didn't raise me that way. I am good guy that made a mistake. I believe that we live in a country of second chances. Everyone including me deserves a second chance. If you release me, I promise that I will not let you or my family down again."

He nodded and sat down. He looked at his father who gave him a nod of approval.

The panel addressed Detective Hayes. He stood and approached the podium. "My name is Detective Gavin Hayes. I personally handled the case against Mr. Ballard. I first came in contact with the victim of this case, Olivia Pope, when Mr. Ballard beat her senseless and left her for dead at the emergency room."

He passed out photos of beaten and battered Olivia. He walked back to the podium, "Surveillance cameras showed his car with his license plate pushing her out of a moving vehicle. I am not sure whether it was fear or love or whatever but Ms. Pope declined to press charges and did go back to him. I was called once again to the hospital when she was raped. I want to play you some voice messages that Mr. Ballard left for Ms. Pope when he called her phone."

 _Voicemail #1: "Hey you stupid bitch! Why were you not at home when I woke up? If you are out with that asshole from last night, I will kill you and him. You don't learn. After what I did to you last night, I thought you would have some sense not to cross me again. You will think twice before denying me what is mine. You make me do these things to you. If you weren't so stupid, then I wouldn't have to hurt you. Your ass better be home by the time I get back from work."_

 _Voicemail #2: "Olivia, you better start answering your goddamn phone! My parents are looking for us to be at the fundraiser tomorrow and you will not embarrassment or you will be sorry. Do you want a repeat of last night or the time you ended up in the hospital? You are a whore that is beneath me and you know it. You are lucky to have me so you better get your shit together."_

 _Voicemail #3: "Olivia, why do you make me hurt you? I know I was a little forceful and rough with you last night. You should not have been talking to that guy. I have told you before about talking to guys. If you act right then I promise I won't do it again. So stop acting stupid and answer your phone because you know my dad will pitch a bitch fit if we are not there tomorrow. You know what happens when he upsets me, Olivia so you need to answer your phone."_

Liv wiped tears from her eyes. Fitz put his arms around her and whispered in her ear, "It's okay. He will never hurt you again."

Detective Hayes turned off the recordings and addressed the panels, "Notice in these voicemails not once did he tell her that he was sorry. To him, it was always her fault. Even today when he made his statement, not once did mention remorse for his actions. He apologized for the _embarrassment_ it caused his family but what about the victim. He still has never apologized to her."

He passed out more picture of Olivia, "This is how she looked after he tried to kill her. He took a knife and tried to stab her to death. Only this time, she fought back. I want to play the 911 recording."

 _Dispatch: "911, what's your emergency?"_

 _(Olivia screams are heard) "My next door neighbor is being attacked by her boyfriend. I am outside of their house and I can hear her screaming for her life."_

 _He bangs on the door, "Olivia!"_

 _(Olivia screams, "Help me! He is trying to kill me!")_

 _Dispatch: "Sir, the police are enroute!"_

 _Grunting can be heard as he tries to kick down the door. He drops the phone._

 _(Olivia is constantly screaming "Help me!")_

Fitz flinches every time he hears her screams.

Detective Hayes turns off the recording, "Her neighbor was able to kick in the door and subdue him until the police arrive. Ms. Pope suffered multiple stab wounds and several cuts. To say that he made a mistake is the biggest understatement of the year. He caused his girlfriend at the time to live in constant fear and he tried to kill her. If you release him earlier then you are making a grave injustice to domestic violence victims everywhere."

Detective Hayes gathered his things and took a seat. The panel spokesperson spoke, "We are told that the victim would like to speak."

Liv took a deep breath. Fitz kissed her on the lips, "I love you."

She walked to the podium with her paper in her hand. She cleared her throat. She looked at her paper, then she looked at Jake for the first time and he looked at her with a little smile on his face.

That look pissed Olivia off, she turned to the panel, "My name is Olivia Grant, formally Olivia Pope. I am the so called victim in this case but I hate that word. I truly despise that word. The victim of this tragic situation is my one year old daughter, Allison. Jake talks about how the prison walls are his constant reminder of the mistake he made. Well I have a daily reminder as well and she calls me, 'Mama.' My daughter was conceived the night, he raped me. Imagine looking into your child's eyes and seeing the same eyes that haunt your dreams. Imagine looking into those same eyes that you stared into while you were pleading and begging for him to stop hurting you. After I got pregnant, he wanted me to have an abortion. He said that it was okay for him to date me but I was not worthy of being the mother of his child. When I refused, that's when he tried to kill me."

Liv felt herself getting emotional. She took a few deep breaths to bring herself back to reality. She turned and caught Fitz's eye and he smiled at her.

She regained her strength and turned back to face the panel, "For years, I always wondered why I stayed with him. Truth be told, I honestly thought he loved me. I thought the problem was me. If I acted a certain way then he would treat me better and love me the way I wanted. If someone tells you that you are stupid and worthless enough times, then you will start to believe them. But now I know that the problem was him. I now know what love should feel like. Love doesn't hurt you or call you name. Love gives you courage to face the impossible. Love is unconditional. I am lucky that my daughter and I know what unconditional love feels like. So no I am not the victim. I am the survivor. Life knocked me down and I got up again. Jake's next victim might not be so lucky. But if he is released, that's on your conscience, not mine."

Liv walked back to her seat. Fitz stood and gave her a big hug and kiss before sitting down. He looked over at Jake and notice the smugness was gone. The panel retired to the back room to deliberate. They came back ten minutes later. The spokesperson spoke, "After listening to what we heard today, we have decided to deny Mr. Ballard's request for parole. Detective Hayes was right, Mr. Ballard, you did not apologize for your actions nor did you apologize to Ms. Pope. You have shown no remorse and we feel that you have not been rehabilitated and still pose a threat to society. We are adjoined!"

Jake was fuming. He looked over at Olivia, who was smiling and hugging Fitz and Detective Hayes. He screamed and tried to lunge at her, "You bitch! I should have killed you when I had the chance."

Fitz stood in front of her to protect her. Several officers grabbed him and held him down. He was screaming at his parents, "You told me I was getting out. Fuck you! You bastards lied to me!"

He was carried away kicking and screaming. Fitz and Liv held hands as they walked out of the building. Someone called Liv's name which caused her to turn around. Mr. and Mrs. Ballard were running to catch up to her.

Mrs. Ballard spoke, "Olivia, I am so sorry for what Jake did to you. We honestly had no idea. He led us to believe it was a one-time thing."

Olivia looked at Mrs. Ballard, "I know you didn't know but your husband did." Liv looked at Mr. Ballard, "You knew that he had anger issues but you always cleaned up his mess just like now." She looked at Mrs. Ballard, "Did he tell you that he offered me money to drop the charges? Did he tell you that he sends money every month for the grandchild that he never told you about?" She looked at Mr. Ballard, "Every month I send it back because we don't need your money. My daughter and I are doing fine. She has a father and grandparents that would move heaven and earth for her."

Mrs. Ballard was in tears. She touched Olivia's arm, "Can I at least see a picture of her?"

Liv looked at Fitz for approval. Fitz handed her his phone. Liv showed Mrs. Ballard a picture of Fitz screensaver of Allie.

Mrs. Ballard wiped her face, "She is beautiful, Olivia. Can I meet her one day?"

Fitz spoke up, "No, we don't think that is a good idea. I have formally adopted her and we would like to spare her from the knowledge of the kind of monster her biological father is."

Liv took Fitz's phone back. "I am sorry but we can't let her get sucked up in this world. Now if you will excuse us, we have to go."

Fitz walked her to the rental car and put her in. Liv check her phone when he started the car. She let out a squeal that startled Fitz.

"What's wrong baby?"

She had a huge smile on her face. She turned her phone to him, "We got the house!"

Fitz was so overcome with joy. He kissed her mouth so hard and deep that she had to push apart for air. "So what do you want to do? We can do anything you want."

She tapped her finger on her mouth like she was thinking. She looked at him, "Anything?"

He smiled, "Anything."

She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss, "I want to go home with my sexy ass husband and sit on the couch watching Mickey Mouse with my daughter."

He kissed her back, "Sounds perfect to me."

He called the jet. They check out the hotel and they headed home to be a family. Life was good. In the end, love won.


	36. Chapter 36

**10 Years Later…**

"Good Morning America, I am Robin Roberts! All week we have been doing a segment called 'Empowering Women'. Today I am here with Olivia Grant who is the Co-CEO and Co-Owner of Grant Advertising Agency in Los Angeles, California. She has been over the company for 10 years and has made it the number one advertising agency in the country. They represent everyone from Nike, Wal-Mart, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and so many others. Olivia, I am honored to interview you today."

Olivia had a big smile, "The honor is all mine."

Robin looked at notes, "Now Olivia, you are perhaps one of the most influential and successful people in the advertising world. But you also have your hands full at home."

Liv laughed, "Yes, I do. I have been married to my wonderful husband, Fitzgerald Grant III for ten years. We have five children. Our oldest is Allison. She just turned 11. Next is our son, Fitzgerald IV. We call him Tommy and he is 9. Then there is Patrick. He is 7. Madison is 5 and our youngest is Kennedy. She is 3."

"Wow. That is a handful. Like most empowering women, you have to balance work and home. How do you separate and maintain the two?"

Liv sighed, "My husband and I have a simple philosophy. Our marriage comes first. Our marriage is the foundation of everything. At work we are Mr. and Mrs. Grant. At home, we are Mom and Dad. But we are also Liv and Fitz. We support each other in every way possible. There are times when he has to step up and be the primary parent for the kids. Then there are times when he has to lead the meetings at work. Every decision is made together."

Robin bobbed her head, "Ok, so your bio says that you earned a master's degree from UC-Berkeley. You were recently the commencement speaker at the graduation last semester where you were given an honorary doctorate. You volunteer for various organizations like Habitat for Humanity. Your company is big at given back to the community. Your company even gives scholarships to deserving high school students. All of these things or transformations have taken place under your rein. You make an impressive six figure salary plus bonuses. You and your husband have moved up on the Forbes List to number 79. You are rich and successful but very humbled."

"Yes, I believe there is only so much money a person needs to spend on themselves. The true test of one's character is how you treat others when you have a lot of money. As for myself and the company, we are big on helping the community and creating opportunities that wouldn't be there if we didn't make it possible."

Robin was impressed, "That is amazing. So you are in New York right now away from family. I am sure that you are missing them. Speaking of families, this weekend is your tenth annual family day picnic for your employees and their families. You have turned the company into a family atmosphere with free daycare and nursing stations. That had to boost the morale of the company."

Liv wore a genuine smile, "It did. That was one of the first things we did when we took over the company. I think that I used the nursing room more than anyone (laughing). But I remember pumping my milk in my office when I was nursing my daughter, Allison. Then I thought about all of the women who didn't have an office who would have to use someone else's office or go to their cars. As women, we shouldn't have to choose to nurse our children or be comfortable at work."

Robin was in awe, "You are truly an amazing woman. I look forward to seeing what exciting and empowering things you do in the future. Thank you for coming."

They shook hands, "Thank you for having me. I am truly a fan."

X X

Fitz walked into the bedroom shouting, "Liv, everything's in the truck. Are you ready?"

Liv walked out of the bathroom putting her earrings on. She still had on her house robe.

Fitz threw his hands up in exasperation, "Babe, why aren't you dressed?"

Liv pointed to the bed where Kennedy was playing on the bed. "She started whining so I had to deal with her. Maddie couldn't find her shoes and the boys are annoying Allie."

Just then Allie came into the room with Tommy and Patrick hot on her heels. "Mom, tell them to leave me alone before I punch one of them. They stole my watch and won't give it back."

Tommy pushed through the front, "Mom, she called us dumb."

Patrick second that, "Yeah."

Allie rolled her eyes, "I didn't call you dumb. I called you stupid."

The boys said together, "Mom!"

Liv took a deep meditating breath and looked at Fitz, "That's one."

Fitz saw the look of desperation in his wife's eyes, "Ok, Allison, Tommy and Patrick, you are grounded for the next week."

The children all groaned, "Dad!"

He pointed to each of them, "Tommy, you know better than to go in your sister's room and take her things. Patrick, I have told you to stop following Tommy. You need to think for yourself. He gets you into trouble every time. And Allison, you know we don't call each other names."

He looked around the room, "Where is Maddie?"

Right on cue, Maddie walked into the room, "Mommy, I got my shoes on." Liv smiled. Madison was the good child. She always did what you told her to do.

Fitz looked around at his family, "Ok, the truck is loaded and if we don't leave soon, we are going to be late. CEOs can't be late to the company picnic. Tommy, give your sister back her watch. Grants, this is your AIS call. AIS in 10 minutes!"

All the kids groaned and walked out the room. Liv walked into her closet and grabbed her clothes, "Fitz, must we do the AIS thing. I can just imagine the phone call I am going to get from their school when the teacher asks what AIS stands for and I have to say 'Ass in Seat.'"

Fitz grabbed Kennedy from the bed, "My father did that to us. It's one of the few things from my childhood that I do use. They know that if their asses are in the seat in 10 minutes or they will be left. Finish getting dressed babe, we will be in the car."

Fifteen minutes later, Fitz was in the car with all the kids waiting on Olivia to come out of the house. The boys were in the back on the third row seat while the girls sat on the second row seat with Kennedy in the middle, Maddie sitting behind Fitz in the driver seat and Allie behind the passenger seat.

Patrick called from the back, "Dad, how come you don't AIS mom?"

Fitz responded, "Cause I like breathing, son."

Patrick laughed at his father's response.

Tommy spoke next, "Dad, what's a MILF?"

Fitz jerked around in his seat, "Where did you hear that?"

He shrugged, "Danny's brother said that about mom?"

Fitz thought, "I didn't know Danny had a brother."

"Yeah, he is in college. He came home last week. When mom picked me up, he said she was a MILF. He also said your D game must be strong to get somebody like her. What does that mean?"

Fitz looked at his son, "It means your mom looks good and I love her very much."

Tommy smiled, "Cool."

Liv walked out the house and got in the car. They all wore the company shirt with matching khakis shorts and matching white shoes. Liv made sure they were extra clean because they were the face of the company and they must look presentable. Liv decided to wear her hair down in her natural curls. She was no longer against looking younger. It was a welcomed compliment when she told people that she had five children and her oldest was 11. She worked hard to keep her figure after each pregnancy.

She closed the door to the car and Fitz commenced to driving to the park. She turned to smile at each of the kids and to make sure everyone had their seat belts on.

Patrick asked, "Mom, how come daddy doesn't AIS you?"

Liv responded, "Because your daddy likes breathing."

That made all the kids laugh.

Maddie smiled at her mom, "Mommy, you look good!"

Liv smiled back, "Thank you baby."

Tommy yelled from the back, "Yeah, my mom. You are a MILF!"

Liv frowned, "What?"

Patrick chimed in, "Yeah, dad has a strong D game cause he loves you!"

Liv looked at Fitz who was struggling to hold his laugh in. She whispered, "Fitz, what the hell?"

He just responded, "Danny's brother. I will explain later."

Liv opened her purse and took out of lipstick. She usually didn't wear makeup other than mascara and lipstick. She didn't want to wear the mascara today. She wanted to be as simple as possible. She flipped the vanity mirror down and caught a good look at Allie in the mirror. She had an annoying look on her face.

Liv asked, "Allie, what's wrong with you?"

Allie has had an attitude lately, "When are you guys going to decide what excursions we are going to do on the cruise?"

Liv was checking her lipstick, "Allie, I just got back from New York last night. I told you that when I get back, your father and I will sit down and decide."

She leaned forward towards her mom, "But mom, we leave next month. I need to know what to pack."

Liv was tired of this same argument with her, "Allison, there is plenty of time to pack. One day is not going to make a difference."

Tommy spoke, "I say we vote. I want to do something fun."

Allie chimed in, "I want to go shopping and go to the beach. Besides voting is not fair. Maddie is going to pick whatever Mom picks. Kennedy is too young to vote and Mom is just going to do whatever Dad wants. So it's just me against everyone."

Liv turned to face her kids, "First of all, the only people who will be making any type of decisions will be me and your father. Why? Because we are the only ones working in this family. Second of all, _when_ we decide what we are going to do then we will let each of you know. We are going on a Disney Cruise because I want Kennedy and Maddie to meet Mickey Mouse but I don't want to do all walking that is required in Disneyland. This is what your father and I decided to do for the family trip this year. Frankly, you three don't have to go. You have already been to Disneyland. If you are going to constantly complain, then you are more than welcome to stay here with either set of your grandparents. Is that what you want to do?"

Allie, Tommy and Patrick each said, "No, ma'am."

Liv turned around, "Good."

After a few minutes, Allie called her mom, "Do you have some lip gloss?"

Liv handed her purse to Allie, "Yeah, look inside."

Patrick looked at the back of his father's head, "Dad, how come Allie can go in Mom's purse but we can't?"

Fitz spoke in a deep voice, "Son, a woman's purse is private. There may be things that a man or boy should not see in there. _I_ don't even go in your mother's purse. It's call respecting her privacy."

He shook his head, "Ok."

Fitz looked at Liv as they turned into the park. She met his eye and whispered, "That's two."

He laughed. Everyone got out of the car. Liv held Maddie's hand while Fitz carried Kennedy. They mingled and spoke to all the employees and their families. The older kids split up to talk to their friends and some of their family. Abby and Leo were there with their 8 year old son, Oliver, whom Abby named after Liv.

Liv sat down with Maddie by her mom, Maya. She gave her mom a kiss on the cheek, "Hey Mom, how are you doing?"

Maya smiled and hugged her back, "Good. How was your flight back home yesterday?"

Liv smiled, "It was good. I missed the kids. It was amazing to have a break and go sightseeing in New York but the whole time I kept saying I wish the kids were here."

Maya made faces at Maddie, "Yeah, I know what you mean. But you looked great on TV. I am so proud of you, _Dr._ Grant."

Liv laughed, "Now, mom, you know it's just an honorary doctorate."

"Still, you deserve it. So how are things going with you and Fitz?"

Maya knew that Fitz and Liv were having differences about having another baby. Fitz wanted one more with the hope of making it even with three girls and three boys but Liv is dead set against having another. They had a huge blow up a few days ago when Fitz found out that Liv had her tubes tied after Kennedy was born. In hindsight, she shouldn't have kept that secret from him but she knew that he wouldn't get a vasectomy so she had to do something.

"We are doing okay. We haven't really talked since I got back last night. I feel like either way it goes someone is going to be unhappy."

Maya rubbed her daughter's back, "You have to do what is best for you. I know you love him but you have to decide whose happiness is more important."

Liv kissed her mom. "I have to go and round up the kids. Fitz is getting ready to make his speech."

Liv got up. She found the boys jumping in the bounce house with their cousin Jeffrey. She knew that Allie was somewhere with her 15 year old cousin, Jamie. Those two were inseparable when they were together. She found them by Emily eating corndogs. Liv got the children and met Fitz and Kennedy by the stage.

They took the stage as a family. Fitz handed Kennedy to Liv while Maddie stood in front of her mother. Allie stood to Liv's left while the boys stood to the right.

Fitz took the mic, "We would like to thank everyone for coming and celebrating the joys and love of family. Family supports us when half of the time we have no one else. Together, we have turned this company into the number one advertising company in the nation and it's because of our employees and their families. Our goal is to go international and take this company global. These past ten years have been amazing both professional and personally. Our company has grown as a whole. We now employ over 1500 people. But nothing gives me more joy than to come home and see how my own family has grown. It warms my heart to look upon the faces of my children and know that I am loved."

Liv had mixed feelings about this speech. She felt like he was taking jabs at her because he wanted more children. She tried to hide the anxiety behind a smile. But Fitz saw it.

He looked at her as he spoke, "I know that none of this, professionally or personally, would be possible without my partner in life, my beautiful wife, Olivia. Whether she gives me a thousand kids or just these five, I am the happiest man alive. I love you and I am nothing without you."

Liv smiled a genuine smile as she tried to fight back her tears.

Fitz turned to the crowd, "Please enjoy yourselves and let's continue to move forward."

Fitz walked back over to his family. He picked up Madison as he put his arms around Olivia and pulled her and Kennedy to him. The tears fell on her face when he whispered, "This is enough for me." He pulled all the kids into a big family hug as he kissed Olivia on the mouth. He put his forehead on hers and whispered, "This is more than enough for me."

X X

Later that night, they had family night. Fitz and Liv ate Chinese food while the kids ate pizza. The kids were spread on the floor in the family room while Liv rested between Fitz's legs sitting on the couch. Fitz was more focused on Liv instead of the TV.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her and kissed her neck. "I missed you so much when you were in New York. I can't sleep without you being next to me."

She leaned back into him, "I missed you too. Besides it was only three days."

He kissed her neck again, "If you missed me so much, why didn't you call me?"

She groaned, "I did call you, Fitz."

He clarified, "No, you called to talk to the kids but not me."

She rolled her eyes, "Fitz, you know why? You are the one that wanted a break, remember. You are the one that felt like I didn't love you enough."

He squeezed her tighter, "You know I didn't mean that. I was angry about you having your tubes tied and not telling me. I don't ever want to be away from you. That was really stupid of me to say."

She shook her head, "I know but it still doesn't hurt less because you didn't mean to say it. You know exactly what to say to hurt me, Fitz. I am trying my best to do what is right for you and the kids but I am tired. My body can't handle another pregnancy. _I_ can't handle another pregnancy. I just feel like you love what me being pregnant means to you. You like that it asserts your manhood. You love the pregnancy sex. You love the idea that your bloodline is continuing from your seed. It feels nice to be back into my regular clothes for more than a few months. It feels nice to have a glass a wine with dinner. It feels nice to finally sleep through the night without having baby or child wake me up in the middle of the night."

Fitz pulled her up into his lap and she buried her head in his neck and shoulder, "I am so sorry baby. I was being a jerk. You are right. If you don't want another baby then we won't have one. I meant what I said. You and the kids are more than enough. I know that you love me just as much, if not more, than I love you. No more breaks between us. The next time I ask for a break, you have my permission to punch me."

She laughed and looked him in the eye, "Deal."

He grabbed her behind the head and pulled her to his lips. He kissed her slow and sensually. He missed kissing her. He decided to stop complaining about what he was missing and start appreciating what he has. Right now he has a beautiful wife who would move heaven and earth for him.

They were interrupted when Kennedy crawled into her parents' lap. She was sleepy. Liv looked at Maddie who was fighting sleep too. Liv looked at Fitz, "I am going to put her and Maddie down."

Fitz grabbed Kennedy, "I got them baby. You get the older knuckleheads to bed. They are easier." He kissed her before she got off his lap. "Come on, Madison. It's bedtime."

Madison rubbed her eyes as she followed her dad up the stairs. Liv started cleaning up the mess that was made while the older kids were finishing their movie. Liv was in the kitchen putting dishes in the dishwasher. Juanita would be there Monday morning but Liv didn't want to leave a mess for her to clean.

Allie came into the kitchen. Liv looked up and saw her standing there, "Is the movie over?"

Allie sat down on the island stool, "No, it will be over in a minute. I wanted to ask you if I can spend the night with Aunt Emily tomorrow. She said that she can take Jamie and me to the movies and shopping at the mall."

Liv closed the dishwasher up, "Allie, your father said that you were grounded. You know the rules."

Allie rolled her eyes and sighed, "Really mom. Why should I listen to him? You act like you can't override his decisions. You are my mother."

Liv walked around to her daughter, "I am your mother but _he_ is your father. If he says you are grounded then Allison Grant, you are grounded."

Allie stood up, "He is NOT my father!"

Liv was stunned by her words. She never told Allie the truth. They agreed to wait until she was older before they told her.

Allie looking at her mother's stunned face, "Yeah, I know he is not. I saw my birth video. I know Aunt Abby was there. I don't have any picture with him before the age of five months. I asked Grandma and she told me that he was not my real father. I know he adopted me. I am your child, not his. You are the one who should be making decisions for me, not him. Was he your white savior or something? He saw a single black mother and decided to play Captain Save-a-hoe."

Liv slapped her out of reflex. Allie was the one with a stunned face now. Her mother has never hit her before in her life.

Liv pointed her finger in her daughter's face, "You will not disrespect me in my damn house. You will not disrespect your father either. Whatever this high horse you have been riding on lately, I suggest you get off of it before I knock you off of it. Get out of my face before I knock you into the middle of next week. Go to your room!"

Allie started crying and ran out of the kitchen.

Liv was angry. She yelled, "Boys, go to bed. You better be in bed by the time I get up there."

She heard scuffling and running as the boys headed upstairs.

Liv was still fuming when Fitz came back downstairs. She was drinking a glass of wine. He knew something was wrong by the look on her face. He assumed she was still mad at him.

"Baby, are you ever going to forgive me?"

Liv rolled her eyes, "That's three. I am not mad at you. Well, I am not _only_ mad at you. Allie just pissed me off."

He walked behind her and wrapped his arms around her, "What has she done now?"

She took a big gulp of her wine, "She knows that you aren't her father and she is mad about it. She thinks that you are my white savior."

He kissed her head, "We have to tell her."

She responded dryly, "I know we have to tell her. But I don't have to be sober when I do."

Fitz took her glass from her and sat it on the counter, "Come on babe. We will do it together."

He took her hand and led her upstairs. They walked into Allie's room. She was on her bed still crying. Liv sat down on the bed while Fitz pulled the chair up in her room to sit next to her. He held her hand tightly.

Liv cleared her throat, "Allison, your father and I would like to talk to you. We know we should have talked to you before now but we wanted to wait until you were a little older. But I guess now is a good time."

Liv took a deep breath, "Fitz is not your biological father. Your father's name is Jake Ballard."

Allie nodded her head, "Yeah, I know. I googled him after talking to grandma."

Fitz looked at Allie, "What exactly did your grandmother tell you?"

Allie shrugged her shoulders, "I asked why there were no pictures of you holding me as a newborn like you did with the other four? She told me that you didn't meet me until I was five months old. She told me my father's name and that he didn't want to be a part of my life. That was all she said."

Liv took her hand, "What did you find out when you googled him?"

She looked at her mother, "I found out that he was arrested and did time for rape and attempted murder. He was the son of a Senator. That's about it."

Liv squeezed her hand harder, "Did it say who he raped and tried to kill?"

She shook her head, "No, it didn't say. Do you know who?"

Fitz gripped her shoulder as she responded, "Me!"

Allie looked at her mother with a look of total shock and awe.

Liv explained further, "Your father and I dated for a few years. He was very abusive towards me. The night that you were made was the night he raped me. After I found out that I was pregnant with you, he tried to kill me. I fought him for my life and yours. I have been trying to protect you your entire life."

Allie was struggling to speak, "What-um-what happened to him?"

Liv responded, "He was killed three years ago. He got out of prison and attacked his girlfriend one night. She waited till he went to sleep and shot him."

Fitz pulled out his phone and found a picture. He showed it to her, "This is a picture of one of the first times I ever held you. Your mother was sick and I had you by myself for an hour. Allie, I might not have been there when you were born but from the moment I met you, you have been in my heart."

Liv looked at her daughter as she looked at Fitz's phone, "Did your grandmother tell you that your father was the first person you crawled or walked to? Did she tell you that he cried on your first day of school? Fitz is your father in every sense of the word. He might not have been there for the first five _months_ of your life but he has been here for the last 10 and a half _years_. He does not make a difference between you or your brothers and sisters. When your adoption was finalized, he held you all night because he couldn't bear to be away from you. So the next time you want to question your paternity, you need to think about that."

Fitz spoke up, "Being a father is more than blood, Allie. You are my daughter in every way that is important. You are my first child. I didn't save your mother. You and your mother saved me. You gave me a reason to live when I had nothing else. Please don't ever question my love for you. You are my Alleycat and you always will be."

Allie cried as she dove into her father's arms, "I love you, daddy!"

He squeezed her tight, "I love you too, baby. But you are still grounded."

Allie laughed, "Yes, sir." She hugged her mother, "I am sorry for what I said. I love you mommy."

She kissed her daughter, "I love you too. Now go to bed."

They left her room and walked into theirs. Liv closed the door and sighed, "That's four."

Fitz threw his hands up, "Okay, Liv. You have made your point. You don't have to constantly count the reasons why we shouldn't have another baby."

She smiled, "I just wanted you to know my reasons. This wasn't something I thought lightly about. I don't want to be old and gray still raising children. I should be enjoying my husband and spending as much time with him."

He pulled her into his arms, "Well your husband wants to enjoy you too. I have missed you like crazy and I have been wanting you all day."

She gave him a sly look, "Well, Big Daddy, I am here right now. You have me all to yourself. What do you plan on doing about it?"

He smirked, "How about you join me in the shower? I want to lick you clean so I can dirty you up."

She laughed, "You are so nasty!"

"Only with you!"

He got the water nice and warm while she undressed. She entered the shower and felt the heat from the water slowly erase the stress of the day. She was so into her zone that she didn't hear Fitz enter the shower.

He stood behind her admiring her for a minute. She looked so peaceful under the shower. He turned the 360º showerhead which hit every spot for both of them. Liv turned to face him once she realized he was in there with her.

He smiled at her, "You look so peaceful under there."

She sighed, "I just realized how stressed I really was. I haven't slept or eaten much in the last few days. Worrying about my marriage has really taken a lot out of me."

Fitz pulled her to him, "I am so sorry. I have been feeling bad for making you feel that way. You don't ever have to worry about this marriage. I was upset that you made that decision without me. We promised each other a long time ago to make every decision together."

She put her arms around his neck, "I know I was wrong for making that decision without you but Fitz, you and I both know that you would have me pregnant any chance you get. Somebody had to stop us."

He squeezed her tighter, "I know and you are right. I love a pregnant you but I love the regular you more. I had some time to think when you weren't talking to me. I have been enjoying myself for the last 10 years doing wild and crazy things with the kids when you have been on the sideline because half the time you were pregnant. So from now own, I want you to enjoy yourself starting right now."

Fitz pushed her up against the wall and dropped to his knees. He put one her legs over his shoulder. He looks up at her, "I didn't get a chance to welcome you home."

He parted her lower lips with his fingers and dove his tongue into her pussy. She threw her head back in ecstasy. She was in heaven. The movement of his tongue was magical. She grabbed his head and forced him to go deeper. He happily obliged as her moans got louder. He rubbed her clit while he fucked her with his tongue.

She was screaming and cursing as the pleasure slowly took over her body. After a few minutes, her body released a huge orgasm causing her body to shake.

She barely had time to recover before Fitz thrust his hard cock inside her.

His voice was deep as he spoke in a whisper, "I love you baby. I love my wife. Never doubt that."

He lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist. She moaned and clawed his back as he thrust deeper inside of her. Her mind was mush as he slowly fucked her into oblivion. All of the stress from the last few days: their argument, preparing for the interview, the company picnic, dealing with the kids and dealing with Allie. All of that stress released when she had her second orgasm.

She opened her eyes to see Fitz staring at her with intense eyes. She took his face in her hands and pulled him into her mouth. She sucked his tongue tasting herself on it. Her force was just what he needed. He gripped her hips and drove his cock deeper into her hitting her spot over and over. He was determined to make her come one more time before he did.

He felt her walls tighten around his cock and knew she was close. He pulled back from her mouth because he wanted to hear her scream. He growled as he gave her all that he had.

She pulled his hair, "Fuck, I'm cumming!"

"Take me with you baby!"

They both came with a huge release. After they came down from their sexual high, they finished their shower and went to bed.

X X

The next morning, Fitz had his IPad at the breakfast table. He and Liv were looking at excursions while they were feeding Kennedy and Madison. Allie, Patrick and Tommy came downstairs for breakfast. Once they fixed their plates, they joined their parents at the breakfast table.

Fitz put down his tablet and addressed his family, "Your mother and I have decided on the excursions that we are going to do."

The kids clapped with excitement.

Liv smiled, "We have decided that we will do a beach getaway excursion that will include a jet ski, a water trampoline and parasailing." The boys were super excited. Allie looked a little disappointed until Liv added, "And it does have a shopping center nearby."

With that Allie bounced with excitement. She jumped out of her seat and hugged her parents, "Thank you daddy. I love you mommy."

Liv and Fitz gave each other a smile. Making their children happy was all that mattered to them. Allie sat does sit down, her parents continue with their conversation.

Fitz look at the kids, "The second excursion will be a dolphin swim."

Tommy groaned, "Dad, we did that already on the last cruise."

Fitz looked at his son, "Yes, son, _we_ did but your mother was pregnant with Madison and didn't get to do it so I want to make it up to her."

He looked at Liv and winked.

Allie looked at her brother, "If it will make mommy happy, then I am for it."

Liv almost choked on her coffee. "Thank you, Allie."

Fitz winked at his daughter, "Mommy's happiness is very important. That's why one night on the cruise we will not have dinner as a family. You guys will eat at the kiddie camp while I take your mother to the adult only restaurant for a nice romantic adult dinner."

Patrick looked at his father, "I thought this was a family cruise. You guys went on a trip together a few months ago so that you could have a romantic time."

Fitz rolled his eyes, "Son that was our anniversary trip. Your mother deserves for me to show her romance more than once a year. It will not kill you to let us eat alone one night besides you might enjoy the camp and not want to leave. So are we clear?"

Everyone said, "Yes, Sir."

Liv wiped Kennedy's mouth, "Ok, it's time to get ready for church."

Fitz looked at his watch, "AIS in one hour."

"Yes, sir."

Fitz looked at Liv when all of the children left the kitchen, "That's one."

Liv burst out laughing, "Oh so now you are counting."

He pulled her from her seat into his lap, "Yes, I am. But you know what I thought about last night. No matter how old I get, I will always have at least one baby."

She gently stroked his hair, "Oh yeah, whose that?"

He looked at her with the most sincere eyes and simply said, "You!"

She leaned her forehead on his and simply replied, "Always!"

The End


	37. Chapter 37

I want to first wish all of my followers a Very Prosperous and Happy New Year! I am excited to say that my book that I have been working on for about two years is available as an Ebook on Amazon. It is a short book about 50 pages but i hope you find it inspiring and helpful. If you have ever questioned why things happen in your life then I encourage you to read this.

In 2006, my two year old daughter died and this book is about my understanding and dealing with her death through faith.

It is at a low introductory price and it was officially published before Christmas but I was dealing with sickness from all of my children. I greatly appreciate your support and I hope you enjoy reading it. Thanks

Title: Trust God

Author: Keeba Smith

URL: Trust-Mothers-Grief-Affirming-Faith-ebook/dp/B019PZD6OM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450888547&sr=1-1&keywords=Trust+God%21+Keeba+Smith


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